This child of mine
by Sandrine C
Summary: Set after 4x23, Caroline deals with a young boy left in her care as Klaus fights his way back to them.
1. Chapter 1

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 1: Heartbeat**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

Caroline woke up with a start. She sat up straight in bed and looked around trying to find exactly what was amiss. She closed her eyes and listened. She could hear the electricity hum throughout the house, the snoring of her neighbor and the wind blowing through the trees. Her eyes flew open. There was a strange heartbeat by the front door. Stronger and faster than a human but there was a quality to it that she couldn't place.

She ran out of bed and went to the door. Caroline held the knob, debating quickly if there was danger outside but there was only that steady beat. Before she could change her mind, she threw open the door.

There was a sleeping child, a young boy, curled up on the floor with a crumpled note in his fist. Caroline knelt down and tried to get the piece of paper without waking the boy. But the second she touched his hand, the boy's eyes flew open—a deep blue she thought she had seen for the last time the night of her high school graduation years ago.

Caroline's mouth fell open in surprise, thinking if this boy were somehow related to Klaus. But she shook her head. Impossible. This child was human, or some version of one considering his heartbeat was not quite right.

The boy sat up and stared at her in silence.

"Hi." Caroline said with a smile that she hoped was kind and warm.

"Hi," the boy replied, his bottom lip trembling as if he were about to cry.

In an instant, Caroline reached out and took him in her arms. "You're safe, sweetie. It's okay. Can you tell me your name? So I can look for your mommy and daddy, then take you home?"

The little boy didn't cry but sniffled softly as he held out his fist, letting Caroline take the note from him.

_Caroline—_

_His name is Samuel. He likes to be called Sam._

_Protect him. Please. You're the only one I can trust with him._

_He is my son._

The letter was unsigned but there was no doubt in her mind about the father of the child she held in her arms. There was about a hundred questions hurtling through her mind but she pushed them aside and focused on the shaking little arms that clung to her.

"Sam?" Caroline asked quietly. "How we get you into bed, little man?"

"Are you Caroline?" Sam asked with a yawn.

Caroline stood up and carried Sam inside, who put his arms around her neck and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Yes, that's my name." Caroline answered as she made her way up the stairs.

"My dad told me you're going to take care of me." Sam said, yawning as Caroline settled him down on her own bed, pulling up the covers to his chin.

"I guess I am." Caroline said with a sigh as she ran her hand through his hair, "Sleep tight, sweetie. I'll be right here."

"Promise?" Sam asked suddenly afraid.

"I promise." Caroline said leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead.

"You don't have a heartbeat." Sam said softly as his eyes drifted to a close. "Like my dad."

"Oh, we're going to have a long talk about your _dad_ in the morning." Caroline said shaking her head. "He's got a world of explaining to do."

"Is he in trouble?" Sam asked without waiting for an answer as he finally fell asleep once more.

Caroline sighed as she looked out the window. "Sweetie, he _is_ trouble."

She started to stand up, but a small hand clung to hers and she decided to stay. Calling, no screaming at Sam's father can wait till sunrise. In the meantime, Caroline turned out the lights and settled beside the boy and watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.

* * *

Klaus watched the house settle into darkness once more. He listened as the boy's heart beat a slower and steadier rhythm as he slept. He waited a few seconds to see if Caroline would run out and check if he was somewhere lurking in the dark. His phone remained silent as well.

"It's time to go, Nik." Rebekah said quietly. "Sam will be fine. She will love him. Everyone falls for that little boy's charms. And as much as I'm sure she probably would like to strangle you right now, Caroline won't let anything happen to the boy."

"He's going to look for me." Klaus said standing still, staring at the house.

"That can't be helped, Nik." Rebekah said. "But staying won't save Matt or Elijah and it won't help us protect Sam. We need to go _now_."

Klaus let out a long drawn breath before turning around to leave.

"I did not think it would be this hard to walk away." Klaus said. "I did not expect to love him."

Rebekah smiled, an edge of bitterness in her voice, "He's your son. And you left him with the woman you wish were his mother. Anyone else would have stayed to see if they could make something out of that, live the dream and all. But you're not just anyone. We're not ever going to be human and ordinary. I've accepted that now. We either destroy the world or save it because we cannot be killed. We are the ones who walk away."

"No." Klaus said stopping in the middle of the street to face his sister. "I'm am coming back to this town. I am coming back for my son, my heir. I will take back Sam, bring him to school, teach him how to hunt, to fight and watch him be a better man than I ever was. "

"And?" Rebekah asked, prompting her brother to continue.

"And that doesn't change her place in my life." Klaus said walking again. "We will be together in the end, Rebekah. Caroline is meant to be with _me._"

"Who would have thought you're as much a fool for love as the rest of us?" Rebekah said.

"Be grateful for it or you would have no one with you on this errand." Klaus said with the hint of a smile.

Rebekah shook her head, turning serious, "You really do love the cheerleader."

"The _captain _of the squad." Klaus said with a smile, "Yes, I love her."


	2. Chapter 2: Start at the beginning

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 2: Start at the beginning**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

The light filtered through her closed eyelids but she didn't want to wake up. Caroline was still undecided about the events of the previous night and staying in bed meant that she could cling to the possibility that it was all just a very weird dream.

Caroline opened just one eye to peek beside her. It wasn't a dream. There was a little boy sitting on her bed, staring at her with what appeared to be an innocent look. Too innocent that she suspected the boy did something. Or maybe he was just his father's son and that look came with the genes.

"You can have five more minutes if you want." Sam said with a giggle, his hand covering his mouth to suppress the sound.

Caroline propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Sam. "I think I'll sleep five minutes earlier tonight, how about that?"

Sam giggled again. "That's not how it works."

Caroline smiled, amused at how smart the boy seemed. "Then tell me how it works. Does your Dad usually give you an extra five minutes?"

At the mention of his father, the boy's face fell and he turned away. "I miss my Daddy."

Caroline sat up and placed an arm around the boy. "I'm sure he misses you too. How about we get you some breakfast then we'll call him every ten minutes until your wonderful father picks up the phone? Would you like that?"

Sam nodded, his face bright with hope as he stood up on the bed and placed his arms around Caroline's neck in a hug. She squeezed back then leaned back so she could talk to him.

"What do you, uh, normally eat?" Caroline asked carefully, wondering what diet would be fit for the child of an Original Hybrid.

Sam's face split into a wide smile as he answered. "Chocolates!"

Caroline rolled her eyes and picked him up then set him down on the floor. "I may not have been around your dad for quite some time but I'm pretty sure he won't be okay with that. And between you and me, he's kinda scary when he's mad so let's not get in trouble with this chocolate business, okay Sam?"

"A lot of people are afraid of him." Sam nodded thoughtfully as he considered what Caroline said, "Okay, no chocolates then."

Caroline frowned as they sat down at the kitchen table. "What makes you say that? Does he hurt people to make them afraid?"

"No." Sam answered earnestly. "But his face turns really scary like those masks on Halloween and the other kids…they don't play with me."

Caroline's heart broke a little as she watched Sam draw circles on the table with his finger. She placed a hand over his and tugged a little to draw his attention to her. "Well, I'm not a kid but I'll play with you. But first, do you like pancakes?"

"Chocolate chip?" Sam said looking up hopefully.

Caroline laughed at his persistence, "Fine. But we're going to have fun with fruits and vegetables the rest of your stay."

She stood up to look for ingredients and felt the little boy watching her. "Would you like to help?"

Sam nodded and leapt up from his seat to follow her around the kitchen, helping her bring odds and ends to the counter in silence. Caroline picked him up to sit on the counter as she worked.

"Want to try mixing?" Caroline said, handing him the wooden spoon when he nodded vigorously.

Caroline watched him mix the batter in concentration, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth. "Okay, I think that's good. I'll put these in the pan and you can watch."

Sam waited until she flipped the first pancake before he spoke again.

"I don't have a mommy." Sam said suddenly, without any sadness or bitterness, merely stating a fact. "Is this what they do? Is this what it feels like to have one?"

Caroline frowned, unsure how to answer the question. "Well, I'm not a mother but I have one and we used to do things like this when I was young. Sammy how old are you anyway?"

Sam showed her three fingers proudly. Caroline focused on her cooking to keep from reacting as the pieces fell into place in her mind.

New Orleans. Klaus left for New Orleans probably around the time Sam was going to be born.

Unable to resist, she turned to her charge. "Do you miss your mommy?"

Sam shrugged and stared at them pan, "I never met her."

Caroline fought back tears as she continued her cooking in silence. "Hungry?" she said forcing a smile as she arranged a stack of pancakes for both of them. She helped him down the counter and sat him down on the table, helping him cut his food into little squares he could work with.

"How about you eat while I get started on those calls to your father?" Caroline said but Sam's attention was already on his food.

She stood up and leaned against the counter as she watched Sam while listening to the phone ring.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up." Caroline said in a singsong voice, a smile plastered on her face as her eyes met Sam's.

Klaus picked up on the fifth ring.

"Caroline."

"Klaus," Caroline said with mock sweetness in her tone, "I got your message."

"Hi, Sam. Are you being good?" Klaus said.

"What—" Caroline started but Sam was the one who replied.

"Yes. We made pancakes for breakfast." Sam said smiling.

"He can…" Caroline said dumbfounded.

"Yes," Klaus said. "He can hear just as well as we do."

"You could have included that in the note." Caroline hissed, but kept her face composed for Sam's benefit. "Anything else you care to mention?"

"He's strong." Klaus said. "And when I say strong, I mean he can bend a crowbar like a straw."

Caroline sighed, "I'm not going to be able to ask the things I really want to, am I?"

"Or yell profanities at me." Klaus said with a smirk.

"What's prof…profa…" Sam asked looking up quickly.

"Nothing. Your Dad's being a smarta—smarty pants I mean." Caroline said recovering quickly, annoyed to hear Klaus laughing softly on the other end. She couldn't help it but she began to laugh as well. Caroline shook her head and sighed, wondering how it was still so easy to be caught up in the moment with him even after all this time, and all that has happened she wasn't even aware of.

"When are you coming back?" Sam asked, voicing out what Caroline wanted to say.

"Soon. Remember Uncle Elijah and Aunt Rebekah's friend Matt? They went on _vacation _and they don't know how to get home so Daddy just needs to go them. Remember them, Caroline?" Klaus said meaningfully.

"I didn't know they were _away_." Caroline said matching his tone. "Exactly how _lost_ are they?"

"Remember when Alaric had you and Elena in his classroom? Pencils, vervain and ropes?" Klaus said casually so as not to alarm Sam. "It's like that. I'll get them just like with you. Nothing I can't handle, love."

"If I recall correctly," Caroline started, "after you saved me, it didn't turn out so well for you. Weren't you trapped in a coffin or someone else's body for some time?"

"Tyler Lockwood." Klaus said. "How is the last of my hybrids nowadays? You would have thought news of his freedom would send him running back to Mystic Falls, straight into your arms and yet…no sign of even his shadow. Just say the word, love, and I'll—"

"_Sammy._" Caroline said pointedly, reminding Klaus of their audience. "Is there anything you'd like to tell your Dad?"

"Can we live here? When you get back? Can this be home?" Sam said. Caroline walked over and handed the phone to Sam, wiping the boy's chin with a napkin.

"Sam, our home is in New Orleans. Why would you want to stay there?" Klaus asked.

"I have a friend here." Sam said simply.

"Well, we should just ask your _friend_ to come live with us in New Orleans." Klaus said with a teasing tone.

Caroline smiled and took back the phone from Sam, "Yeah, that's still not going to work, Klaus. Really?"

"Hey, he asked." Klaus said, the laughter evident in his voice, "It was worth a shot, love. You know that's always been my plan. And like I told you before, I'll wait…however long it takes. Might not be today, but one day you'll say yes."

"As cute as your son is, he's not going to charm me out of all the questions I have for you, Klaus." Caroline said with a deep sigh. "But for now, just come back. That's all I'm asking for."

"As you wish." Klaus said softly. "Bye, Sam. Be good. I'll call soon."

"Bye Dad!" Sam said.

"What?" Caroline said teasing. "No goodbyes for me?"

"Bye, love." Klaus said, his voice becoming serious. "Be safe. Both of you."

The line went silent and Caroline looked at Sam, who stared up at her with a smile. He pushed his plate towards her and she saw that he ate only exactly half the pancakes.

"I saved some for you." Sam said.

"That's really sweet of you." Caroline said giving the boy a one-armed hug as she dug into her food, making a show of it even if what she really wanted was blood. "I think we need to work off all this food. How about we go get you some clothes then we'll go to the park after?"

Sam's eyes lit up and he reached over and gave Caroline a quick hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sammy." Caroline said, wondering how this boy could be the son of someone she once thought was beyond saving.

* * *

"Time for bed, Sammy!" Caroline called out, growling internally as she made a note to berate Klaus for not telling her that his son could also move very, very, very fast. She spent the day chasing Sam around the park and now throughout the house, getting him only to brush his teeth and put on pajamas before he decided he wanted to play hide and seek. But his version involved zipping from one hiding place to the next every time she got close. Caroline sighed accepting the fact that the child had better sense than she did.

"I give up." Caroline said loudly as she went to her room and sat on the bed, with her legs stretched out in front of her. She yawned loudly, "I'm going to sleep. I'm tired. Sorry but no bedtime story for little boys tonight."

In a second, Sam was standing by the doorway, feet crossed sheepishly. Caroline smiled and patted the space beside her. Sam crawled in, lifting her arm so that it went around his shoulders.

"I guess we have time for one quick story." Caroline said as she leaned her cheek against the top of his head. "Any requests?"

"Do you know about the prince and the princess? Daddy always told me about them." Sam said settling in under the covers.

"Can you tell me where you left off?" Caroline said slowly thinking if she could get away with making up the next part of the story Klaus started.

"It was where the prince came back to save the day!" Sammy said excitedly. "He went away to meet an old friend but the princess sent a note and told him about this party. So he went but there was something bad that happened and he saved the day. But he had to go away again…back to his own kingdom…but he promised the princess that it would be okay, that in the end they'll be together."

Caroline raised her eyebrows, catching herself before she asked if the princess had blonde hair, blue eyes and was named after her.

"Let's see," Caroline said absently running her fingers gently through the Sam's hair, "The prince and the princess didn't see each other for a long time. They went about their lives. The prince was busy rebuilding his kingdom because somewhere along the way there was an evil king that tried to destroy things. But the prince came back just in time.

"What about the princess?" Sam asked.

"Well, she stayed in her own kingdom. She was supposed to go away but she decided to stay home. See, she was waiting for an old friend to come back but…well, she didn't know why but she wanted to stay and see if maybe someday he'd come." Caroline said. "Then one day the prince had a very important mission and there was a special person that he needed to make sure was cared for while he was away. So he brought the person to the princess."

"Just like me," Sam said half-asleep already.

"Yes, sweetie," Caroline said quietly. "Just like you. So the princess took in the prince's special friend and they both waited for his return."

Caroline watched as Sam's breathing became steady. She watched him for an hour, wishing she could be as peaceful and innocent as the boy. She wished that when morning came, Klaus would be there with all the answers she craved.

But as she watched the rhythm of little boy's chest rising and falling, she found she cared less and less about the past and more about how her life would be if Sam had to go home to New Orleans.

* * *

Caroline's phone vibrated angrily on the nightstand, demanding her attention, tearing her away from whatever dream she was having.

She checked the clock and groaned internally. 2AM. Annoyed she picked it up, checking quickly if it woke up the boy beside her. Noting that Sam was still sound asleep, she checked the screen and answered the call.

"Klaus. For heaven's sake, why are you calling at this hour?"

There was silence on the other end. Cold shot through her spine as the quiet was broken on both ends of the line—a door broken down on Klaus' side and a window shattering downstairs in her home.

"Klaus?" Caroline said in a frantic whisper as she got up and walked towards the door, another window blown to pieces. She had one hand on the knob when she changed her mind and walked back to the bed to wake Sam. Caroline heard a loud crash on the phone and finally the voice she didn't know she was holding her breath for.

"Caroline." Klaus said in an urgent voice, fear and anger colliding in that one word, prompting Caroline to pick up the child. She knew what was coming and what she needed to do. She looked out the window and calculated the distance in her mind as she held Sam tight against her.

She jumped as Klaus spoke words that chilled her to the bone.

"Caroline. Run._ Now"_


	3. Chapter 3

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 3: In the stillness of the night**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

"Elena! Damon! Open this door!" Caroline said frantically as she pounded on the heavy wood. "You have until the count of five before I kick this down. One, two, three—"

"You better have a damn good excuse for all this noise, Barbie." Damon said exasperated as he opened the door.

Caroline ignored him and barged inside, Sam cradled in one arm. "Elena? Elena, get down here right now. Hello? Crisis mode. Where are you?"

"What's happening?" Elena said stumbling down the stairs with mismatched clothes on.

"Oh." Caroline said finally noticing that Damon wasn't wearing a shirt. "Seriously? How long has it been and you two are still acting like crazed honeymooners?"

"Focus." Damon said walking over to stand next to Elena, putting on the shirt he was offered. "You need something. What is it? And while I'm on a roll with stating the obvious, you are holding a child that I'm pretty sure isn't yours because no one in their right mind would let a vampire adopt an actual human child."

"He's not mine." Caroline said through gritted teeth. "But for right now he's my responsibility and I need to keep him safe, starting with getting him to bed."

"Of course," Elena said stepping closer to them but stopped when she saw the boy clutch Caroline more tightly with every slight movement.

Sam buried himself deeper against Caroline's neck as he whimpered. But Caroline gently coaxed him to look at her friends.

Caroline spoke to Sam in a soothing voice, shooting Damon a stern look as she did. "This is Elena, she's one of my best friends and this is her…this is Damon. We're going to stay here for a while because it's nice, warm and safe here. You want to say hi to them?"

"Hi." Sam said with a little wave to Elena and Damon.

Elena took a tentative step towards Caroline, silently asking if it would scare the kid. "Hi, what's your name?"

"Sam." Sam said fidgeting with his fingers as he replied. "I don't want to go to bed. I want to stay awake. I want my daddy."

"Well, Sam, "Elena said smiling at the boy. "What do you say we wait for your dad by that couch over there and read a story by the fire? And if you get sleepy, I promise to wake you the second your dad arrives. Do you like that?"

Sam nodded and let Caroline set him down on the floor to walk with Elena so they could pick out a book of old fairy tales from the Salvatore collection.

Caroline watched as Elena covered Sam's shoulders with a blanket and then sat next to him at a careful distance, letting him move closer on his own as the story progressed. Caroline waited until Sam finally fell asleep before placing a pillow underneath his head and letting him use the couch as a bed.

"Start talking, Caroline." Damon said loudly, toning it down after Caroline shushed him and slapped him on the shoulder. "You better have a good explanation for this before I revoke your permission to use our house as a sanctuary. Start with the boy."

"He's Klaus' son." Caroline said without preamble, slumping down on a chair, finally exhausted with all that's happened.

"I'm sorry," Damon said raising his eyebrows, "Did you say you brought an evil spawn into my humble abode? Have you lost your_ mind_? How does he even have a kid? Is it even a kid and not some reptile covered in human skin?"

"Damon, calm down." Elena said stepping between him and Caroline, "_Listen_. Sam has a heartbeat."

"I wouldn't put it past Klaus to get a witch to fake that." Damon said waving it off. "Let's say I believe that boy is real, it doesn't discount the possibility that his head could start spinning all the way around as he projectile vomits. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_, good can come from Klaus."

"Damon!" Elena admonished, forcing him to look at Sam as he slept. "Look at him. He is harmless. He is a _child_. He is innocent, no matter who his father is."

"See this is why you two are friends," Damon said wagging his finger at Elena and Caroline, "How long have you known this kid? Five seconds? And already you're both on maternal instinct overload, smitten with him and decided that no woman will ever be good enough for him. I don't know what lies Klaus fed you or what charms this kid has up his sleeve but I am not on board with this. He has to _go_."

"What?" Elena countered. "You will put him out on the street and leave him to fend for himself? That's beyond heartless, even for you."

"Elena," Damon said, "When people come knocking at your door at an ungodly hour looking like they're busy running from whatever monsters are lurking out there, letting them in means you invite trouble with them. We are done with chasing full moons and counting on spells to sort out our lives. We are not running an orphanage or a shelter."

Elena leveled him with a look. "We don't turn our backs on friends, especially those who forgave us for trying to kill them and everything else in between. We are in this, Damon. Make all the snarky comments you want but we will help them."

"Still trying to save everyone." Damon said to Caroline with a sigh. "At your service, madam. What can we help you with, o babysitter of demon spawn."

"It's not his fault that Klaus is his father." Caroline replied testily. "Sam didn't ask for it and he's been nothing but sweet."

"That's how they reel you in so you never expect the fatal blow. Don't you watch movies?" Damon said as he poured himself some scotch, throwing up one hand when Elena glared at him.

"Where exactly is his father anyway?" Damon asked as he watched the kid.

"I don't know." Caroline started, holding up a hand when Damon looked like he was going to interrupt. "Elijah and Matt seem to be in some sort of trouble and he's trying to get them back. That's why he left Sam with me. Apparently, he's still incapable of making any friends so I became the only option he can trust Sammy with."

"Hook, line and sinker." Damon said shaking his head. "You actually bought that?"

Caroline grunted in frustration, "None of that matters. Matt is in danger. I trust Klaus can save him but it brings us back to the fact that Sam is here. He's fairly helpless save for supposed superhuman strength and hearing. He still wouldn't be able to save himself because, and I really cannot emphasize this enough, he is a _kid. _And he is scared._" _ She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head, "Look, Klaus wouldn't never ask for help of this magnitude unless he were really desperate."

Caroline's phone suddenly rang and she answered it, quickly checking if it woke Sam. She sighed with relief when his breathing remained steady. Caroline opened her mouth to speak but the voice on the other end beat her to it.

"Caroline." Klaus said with a hard edge to his voice. "Let me talk to Sam."

Caroline stepped back from the living room but made sure she kept the sleeping child in view.

"No," Caroline whispered fiercely. "He's asleep and he's going to stay that way until the sun rises."

"I need…"Klaus said with forced calm, his anger bubbling up slowly. "I need to speak to my son. I need to tell him…"

"Klaus." Caroline said firmly. "What you _need_ to do is tell me what the hell I'm up against so I can protect Sam. Are you listening? I can't fight every damned shadow that crosses my path and still keep your son calm and happy. I don't care what you want or need right now, Klaus. Suck it up and help me keep Sam safe."

"You have no right to—" Klaus started.

"I said I don't care about anything you have to say unless it's to explain what I have to deal with until you walk back into Mystic Falls." Caroline interrupted him. "I brought him into the home of my best friend so you better tell us exactly what we're risking our lives for."

"I am doing everything in my power to get to you in the next twenty-four hours. If I have to swim across the Atlantic, I will do it. And I swear to you, I will tell you everything but right now just _please_ let me talk to my son." Klaus said with desperation.

"Matt? Elijah?" Caroline prompted when it seemed that he didn't exactly complete that mission yet.

"Rebekah can handle it…for now. Stefan…he's with her now. Katerina found him and _persuaded_ him to help. They'll find a way. If not, they can hold things down until I figure this all out." Klaus said impatiently. "I'll explain when I get there. Let me talk to Sam. _Please._"

Caroline closed her eyes briefly and walked towards the boy. She sat down on beside him and shook him gently.

"Sweetie," Caroline whispered to him. "Your dad wants to talk to you. Just for a minute then you can go back to sleep after.

She handed the phone to the bleary eyed boy and listened to them talk.

"Sam?" Klaus said.

"Daddy…" Sam said with a yawn. "Are you coming to pick me up? I'm at this really big house with a giant fireplace. It's nice."

"That's good." Klaus said. "Sam, do you still remember that poem I taught you? The one you repeat three times?"

"Yes." Sam said blinking slowly, his head nodding forward.

"Good." Klaus said. "If anyone tries to take you away from Caroline before I see you, you have to promise me you'll say the poem just like I taught you, okay?"

"I promise." Sam said. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Yes, Sam. I'll see you soon. I love you." Klaus said.

Caroline's breath hitched when he heard Klaus' voice say those three words. Up until that second, she never thought he was capable of even saying that phrase and sound like he meant it.

Sam handed the phone back to Caroline and immediately placed his head on the pillow again.

"I have to go. Don't let him out of your sight." Klaus commanded Caroline the second she placed the phone to her ear.

"You got what you wanted. Now get your ass back here." Caroline demanded, unable to keep the helplessness out of her voice completely.

Klaus closed his eyes briefly and sighed, "For what it's worth, I apologize for whatever grief this has caused you. I never meant…I wish…I wish you didn't have to find out about Sam this way or that you had to be dragged into this mess. And…thank you. Just…thank you."

Caroline let out a deep breath and leaned against the wall. "Just come back, Klaus. Come home."

* * *

"Go out and walk it off, Barbie." Damon said. "You're going to scare the kid if you stay on edge and keep looking unhinged like that. Hell, you're scaring _me."_

"Fifteen hours." Caroline said checking the clock again. "He should be here by now. Oh God, what if he's lying in a ditch somewhere."

"What's a ditch?" Sam asked looking up from his drawing.

"It's this narrow sort of thing—no, why am I even explaining." Damon said waving off Caroline. "Go. I will watch the boy. Elena will be back soon with Jeremy and we can contact Bonnie the friendly ghost so we can get to the bottom of this."

"And knowing you will be alone with Sam will actually convince me to leave?" Caroline said incredulously. "How is that going to help calm me down?"

"Sam?" Damon said without turning around. "We're buddies right?"

"Nope!" Sam said. "I'm not a bad boy."

"Not the answer I was expecting but I admire the honesty." Damon said as he glared at Sam. "See, we'll get along just fine."

"What if someone comes again?" Caroline said

"One, no one has tried anything since you walked through that door. Maybe it was just some random burglar at your house." Damon said counting with his fingers. "Two, I'm more than a century old. I fight better than you, woman. And three, kid's got his own self-defense poetry thing going for him. I think we'll be good for at least an hour without your pacing back and forth. You're going to make a hole in the carpet."

Damon pushed her out the door and Caroline reluctantly let him. "Sammy, I'll be back okay? Yell really, really, really loud if anything bad happens okay?"

"Okay!" Sam said cheerfully as he went back to his drawing, which Caroline jus realized was of Damon as a clown, complete with a big red nose.

Caroline took a deep breath and began to walk, making sure she stayed just on the edge of the Salvatore property. Still within range of getting to Sam in two seconds flat in case anything happened.

She whipped around when she heard a faint rustle. She started to run but strong arms held her in place.

"You left my only son with Damon?" Klaus said accusingly. Caroline turned around to tell him off for taking too long but found that he was wearing that familiar smirk on his face.

"So why are you out here looking like…" Caroline stuttered as Klaus smiled innocently, his eyes locked on hers.

"Like what, love?" Klaus said.

"What I meant was," Caroline said through her teeth, "Why aren't you racing inside to see Sam?"

"Because as far as monsters with a heart go, Damon is one of the better ones." Klaus said with a shrug, "I may not trust him but at least for the next few minutes, I will have to.

"You took too long. You should get in there." Caroline said, waving her hand in the direction of the house.

"I'm nine hours earlier than promised." Klaus said unmoving. "You want to know why I'm here with you and not pulling Damon away from my son by the ear?"

Klaus paused and reached out to brush back a stray strand of hair from her face, "Because I owe you an explanation, Caroline. I need you to understand that I have someone in my life that matters more than anything ever has. And even if that means broken promises along the way, I will let people get hurt if it buys him one second of peace. I need you to know that if tomorrow or the next, I cause you any kind of pain, it is the last thing I want and it will only be because I love my son and I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe."

Caroline breathed deeply, "Is he the reason why you moved to New Orleans?"

"No," Klaus said thoughtfully, "But he's why I stayed. I saw my old life and the life I wanted being played out by someone who used to only be my lackey. I wanted to get rid of him and take New Orleans back. But then the witches there revealed something I never expected. I was to be a father. Nature's loophole, they said, werewolves can procreate so somehow I could as well."

"Who was it?" Caroline asked hoarsely, annoyed with herself that she seemed to be more affected that she wanted, that it wasn't just curiosity pushing her to ask.

"Hayley." Klaus said plainly, watching for a reaction.

"Seriously?" Caroline finally exploded. "Her? Of all the… What is _with_ that girl? Why do hybrids have a thing for her?"

"She was there. It meant nothing. As I'm sure her other hybrid dalliance would tell you." Klaus said. "That said…I did not mean for her to die. As little as she meant to me, she was still Sam's mother."

"How did she die?" Caroline asked.

"Childbirth." Klaus answered. "It was an _unusual_ pregnancy, to say the least. I'll spare you the details but she had to claw Sam out herself. I couldn't save her, turn her into a hybrid without my doppelganger and Katerina's human blood would not work. Hayley died."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Caroline said, still in shock as she tried to process the information. "You're the one who kept asking to be my friend, well mister, friends tell friends these things. I could have…"

"No," Klaus said stopping her, "You would have been appalled and shut me out. You would have not been as open if you had not talked to Sam yourself and seen him as a person, not just as the product of a regrettable one-night stand."

Klaus sighed, "But still… I wish you met Sam under better circumstances. This wasn't what I had in mind."

"And _'this' _is?" Caroline prompted.

"A week ago, someone took Matt. At first I told my sister he's probably just decided he's had enough of her company but then Elijah was taken right in front of me. It was the usual blackmail, threat to Sam and ransom demand. But I should have known better, the old me would have known not to negotiate with anyone." Klaus closed his eyes and lifted his face to the heavens.

"It was a distraction." Caroline said, placing a hand on his arm, making him look at her again. "The target was always Sam, wasn't it?"

"He's not just a human boy. He's not even just a werewolf." Klaus said as they started walking again, letting Caroline link her arm through his as he unconsciously reminded himself it meant nothing more than a gesture of friendship. "I don't know what he is. No one does. But his blood is pure magic. And I have a multitude of enemies who find it poetic justice to gain so much power from killing Sam and at the same time cause me so much pain."

"What kind of power?" Caroline asked as they made it to the front door.

"I can make hybrids out of werewolves." Klaus said without looking at Caroline, "But draining Sam's blood can make hybrids out of vampires, as powerful as the Original and immortal."

He finally turned to Caroline and gave her an exhausted smile, "Did I mention my own son's blood is poison to me?"

The door opened followed by a loud squeal as Sam ran into his father's arms. "I missed you!"

Klaus squeezed Sam tight and smiled at his son, "I missed you too."

"Let's take this little reunion inside shall we?" Damon said, his eyes narrowed as he looked around, "Something is not—"

"Right." Caroline continued in a faint whisper as she stared at the arrow that shot through the narrow space between Klaus and Sam, a note stuck on the end, written in blood.

Silent tears rolled off Sam's eyes, his lower lip trembling as the silence stretched out in the night. Caroline snapped out of it first and gestured for Klaus to hand her the boy.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. You're okay, Sammy. See no cuts, no bruises." Caroline said soothingly. "Daddy's home and he's going to _fix this_. Right? Right?"

Klaus nodded and kissed his son on the forehead, "Of course. Why don't you two go and get something to drink? Maybe hot chocolate with marshmallows?"

"Third cabinet, top shelf." Damon said, his gaze never leaving the note stuck on the wall. He waited a few seconds before addressing Klaus. "Some unsolicited advice for you—stop making enemies. Or if you absolutely cannot avoid it, try to stay away from the crazy ones who think they have nothing to lose and everything to gain because those are the types who do things like _this."_

"And you would benefit from shutting up once in a while." Klaus said as he tore the note off the wall.

"Guess it's time to round up the Scooby gang." Damon said with a maniacal smile as Klaus threw the note into the fire, watching the message slowly burn before his eyes.

_Say good night, say goodbye… say all you need to say._

_Tomorrow he will bleed._

_They all will._

_The story will end._

_And once again you will be alone._


	4. Chapter 4: Falling to pieces

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 4: Falling to pieces**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

**_A/N: Sorry took a while with this one...but anyway here it is and I hope you enjoy reading this! :)_  
**

"Absolutely not." Klaus said shaking his head as Jeremy detailed to them what Bonnie was saying. "I am not allowing my son to be taken anywhere, especially across the veil to that other side. Have you all lost your minds?"

"Look, he won't be there long." Jeremy reasoned. "Just long enough for Bonnie to do the spell."

"What part of 'no' do you not understand, boy?" Klaus said leaning close to Jeremy with a menacing look.

Damon placed a hand on Klaus' shoulder firmly and pulled him back, "Easy there. Don't forget little Gilbert isn't the one after your son. It's your _own mother_."

Klaus glared at Damon's hand until he pulled it away, palm up in mock apology. "There is no need to remind me about the dysfunctions of my family unless you would like to rehash how you and your brother keep falling for the same girl."

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Elena said placing a hand on Damon to keep him from provoking Klaus. "Can you two just put aside your egos for a second and actually be useful? Or have you forgotten that Klaus dead equals all of us in his bloodline will follow?"

"Fine." Damon said. "But all bets are off if he brings up my taste in women."

Elena rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Klaus, who merely shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Bonnie can't work the spell to bind Esther unless Sam is with her." Jeremy said. "He'll be safe with her. Besides, it gives us time to hunt down the person Esther is working with on this side, without you worrying about who will babysit Sam. Rebekah, Stefan and Katherine still haven't gotten anywhere near finding Matt and Elijah."

"Hypothetically, let's say that I go along with this plan, how sure are you that your ghost girlfriend will give my son back?" Klaus said with narrowed eyes. "I have a hundred enemies on that side and I'm fairly certain Bonnie Bennett is one of them. Oh, I know she'll save me to save the lot of you but that doesn't mean she won't take advantage of the opportunity to hurt me."

Jeremy glared at Klaus, "Don't ever speak about Bonnie like she's anything like you. You don't know her."

"No," Klaus said, "I think _you're_ the one who missed a lot when you were dead. Your one great love...Bonnie? Well, to catch you up, she worked with Silas and helped set up twelve witches that her friend Caroline killed to save her. Now tell me if she isn't as terrible as I am? What makes you think I should entrust my son to someone like that?"

"We all have blood on our hands. _You _have more than most." Caroline interrupted finally, standing up to meet Klaus head on. "But we're going to wipe all of that clean and trust each other, for the sake of someone who is innocent in all of this. Put aside your paranoia and be that powerful vampire we all hate because that guy always wins. Sam needs his dad, the hybrid who takes insane risks and is always one step ahead of the game."

Klaus' eyes were dark and stormy as he looked at Caroline. "If he were your son and I was still the man you found so repulsive years ago, would you even consider letting me even get a glimpse of him if he was the only thing standing in the way of something I wanted?"

Caroline took a step closer to him and looked him straight in the eyes. "I would do everything I could to save him and if that's what it took…yes, I'd do it. Klaus, Sam doesn't need to be my son for me to want to save him. I agree— it sucks that to keep him safe we have to _put _him in danger. It doesn't make sense. But it's our best bet at ending this."

"And if we fail?" Klaus asked in a low voice, fighting hard to keep his composure. "He will _die._"

"Klaus," Caroline said gently as she placed a hand on his arm and another on her chest, "Hand over my heart, I promise you I will do everything to keep that from happening or die trying. You know why? Because I still believe there is a part of you that is human. Because I still catch myself wishing I could forget all the horrible things you've done. Because I've finally seen you capable of real, honest to goodness, love for someone other than yourself. Because I still think…I still want to try and save _you._"

Caroline sighed and shook her head, "You wanted to be my friend? Then this is what it means to be one of them. I fight for you and those you love but you have to let me help you. Even if it means trusting me when it looks like I'll push you over a cliff."

Klaus closed his eyes briefly, his jaw clenched tight as he answered, "Don't make me regret I brought him to your doorstep."

"Hey," Caroline said with a small smile, "You were the one who asked me to protect him."

"But did you have to bring in your Mystic Falls Decade Dance committee?" Klaus said shaking his head. "They can't even organize an event without something going wrong."

Caroline glared at him, "That was all on you, mister. Now be polite and say thank you that they're here to help."

"They're saving their own asses!" Klaus said with a laugh, controlling it when Caroline crossed her arms and leveled him with a look. "Alright. I am grateful that I am not alone in this. That is the best I can do, love."

Caroline sighed in mock frustration to hide the small smile that danced on the corners of her lips.

Damon rolled his eyes and turned to Jeremy, "Did you get to ask your long-distance girlfriend exactly how this plays out? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm on board with all the blind trust among friends but it won't hurt to know what plan she has over there while we wait in giddy anticipation over on our side."

"Just before dawn, Bonnie will be able to lift the veil long enough to get Sam," Jeremy started, "Then she will draw power from Sam and bind Esther to the darkest parts of the other side, a place where there is no way out."

"Draw power?" Elena asked.

"Blood." Klaus said darkly. "It always comes back to that."

"She won't need to take much since she's not trying to kill anyone…she just wants to bind Esther." Jeremy explained. "It's not any different from medical tests that he's going to go through as a human."

"Then how do we get him back?" Caroline asked, placing a hand on Klaus' arm once again to keep him from doing anything to anyone.

"We wait for dawn again." Jeremy said.

"Daddy?" Sam stood at the foot of the stairs as he looked tentatively at the group of adults huddled by the living room.

Damon whistled, clapping Klaus on the back as he walked away, "I don't envy you the conversation with the kid about what's going to happen next. You have around four hours before dawn…make it count."

Klaus walked towards Sam and picked him up as everyone dispersed, leaving father and son alone.

"Why is everyone so upset?" Sam asked as he sat on his father's lap on the couch facing the fireplace.

"Well," Klaus said slowly, "I can't speak for them but I'm upset because I'm about to do something I don't want…something that scares me."

"Why?" Sam said, worried as he turned around to face his father.

"Sam," Klaus said trying to lighten his tone as he spoke, wishing his son would not be able to tell how hard he was fighting his emotions, "You are a very special boy. You are curious, intelligent, charming and kind. Exactly all the things I am not. You are made for greatness, son. But because of who I am, people want to keep you from that future. But I'm going to try and make sure they don't succeed."

Sam nodded seemingly able to understand completely. He looked at Klaus, alert and completely absorbed with his father's words.

"I need to send you away…just for a short while." Klaus added quickly. "See, I can't do it alone so there's someone who will help us. Bonnie. She's…nice. You'll go with her for just a day so you two can save the day. How does that sound?"

"Will it hurt?" Sam asked, his eyes wide with fear.

"A little, maybe." Klaus said honestly. "But you're a brave boy. You will be just fine."

"I'm scared." Sam said honestly as he hugged his father. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"She will love you, Sammy." Caroline said from the entry to the living room. "Sorry. I literally couldn't help but overhear."

Klaus turned around in his seat, eyebrows raised, "I'm sure even without your hearing abilities you would have found a way to eavesdrop."

Caroline rolled her eyes and ignored him, choosing instead to focus on Sam. "Bonnie is my friend. She's a good person, Sammy. She's going to help us."

"Is she nice like you?" Sam asked seriously.

Caroline sat down next to them, took the boy's feet and placed them on her lap. "Of course! She's one of my best friends. I've known her since I was little like you. She's always been there for me."

"Will she play with me?" Sam asked.

"I don't see why she won't." Caroline said with a smile.

"Can't you and Daddy come with me?" Sam asked looking at each of them.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Klaus said. "It's just you this time. But I promise when you get back, we'll go on a vacation…just you and me."

Sam turned to Caroline, "You'll come too, right?"

Klaus looked at Caroline with an unreadable expression, waiting for her response as well.

"I think," Caroline started slowly, "you should spend time with your dad…just the two of you. But maybe I'll come visit you in New Orleans. Sound good?"

Sam nodded, "I'll show you my tree house and all my drawings…and my toys!"

Klaus smiled at Caroline, mouthing a thank you to her. Caroline just shrugged and smiled back.

"Why don't you get some sleep before Bonnie gets here?" Klaus said kissing the top of his son's head.

"Can I sleep here? I like it better with you here." Sam said.

Klaus nodded and held his son as he sat on the couch. Caroline made a move to stand up but Sam's hand shot out quickly.

"Don't go. Please?" Sam said his eyes already drifting to a close. "Just for tonight."

Caroline smiled at Sam, placing his feet on her lap again, "Okay."

Klaus hummed softly, a lullaby that Caroline wasn't familiar with. They both watched Sam as he fell asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly.

"You don't have to stay." Klaus said softly after some time. "He's sound asleep. He won't notice you're gone."

"I want to be here." Caroline said looking sideways at Klaus, a tired smile on her lips. "No offense but I can't figure out how Sam is so sweet when you're his father. You take the grand prize for daddy issues around here and yet…you seem like you're doing a hell of a job with Sam."

"None taken," Klaus said with a smile of his own, "Well, I actually was quite the reluctant father before he was born. I moved from disbelief to thinking he could be a very valuable pawn. Then he was born, opened his eyes and I…I just saw what kind of life I wanted him to have. All I want is to give him everything I never had with my own family. He's my fresh start, the second chance I didn't know I was waiting for."

"And what of _your_ life when he grows up and has his own?" Caroline asked.

Klaus smiled. "I haven't given up on you, if that's what you're asking."

Caroline's mouth fell open and she stuttered trying to reply but Klaus laughed and cut her off.

"In the end," Klaus said, "It's still going to be you and me. I won't have it any other way. I just need time to figure out how all the pieces of my life fit in now that there's Sam. I'm going to make you fall in love with me someday, Caroline. Count on it. But I guess it's just not today."

"I wonder if your son also inherited your '_confidence'." _Caroline said with one eyebrow raised.

"It's my best trait." Klaus said deadpan.

"Really?" Caroline said matching his tone. "You must be _so_ proud."

"Yes, of course." Klaus said unable to keep from smiling. "I can do this all night but you should get some rest."

"You know, for someone who says, repeatedly I might add, he's going to make me fall for him, be his friend, blah, blah, blah…you're doing a bang up job of pushing me away tonight." Caroline said facing him, tilting her head.

Klaus merely stared at the fire, "For someone who has wanted nothing to do with me for the longest time, you're doing one hell of a job staying in my life."

He smiled but didn't turn to face Caroline even if he knew her eyes were still on him. "I don't want you to see me weak, Caroline. Right now, I'm trying very hard not to just run out of here with Sam. But you're right. This might be our best shot to put an end to this so I won't need to live a life with my son on the run. So I'm asking you to leave because I keep hoping that if I convince you to go, between the two of us we might just be able to hide Sam forever. Now will you go?"

"No," Caroline said placing a hand over his and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I may not love you and maybe I never will…maybe you'll never be what I need…but as much as I hate to admit it, you've earned my respect…and my trust. I am your friend now. So I'm staying here. Let it all out, Klaus. I'll be here to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

Klaus smiled and let his head rest on top of hers. They stayed that way until the darkest hour before dawn.

"It's time." Elena said quietly from the hallway followed by Damon. "Jeremy is talking to Bonnie. She's here. Time to wake up Sam."

Caroline gave Klaus an encouraging smile as he slowly shook the sleeping boy.

"Sam?" Klaus said gently. "Time to wake up, son."

Sam blinked slowly and rubbed his eyes, looking around at everyone in the room. "Is that Bonnie?"

Klaus looked up in alarm, following the direction of Sam's outstretched hand.

There was nothing.

"Where Sam?" Klaus said standing up but still holding Sam close to him.

"Right there." Sam said insistently.

Caroline stood up beside Klaus but took half a step forward to block Sam from view. "There's nothing there, Sammy."

Sam frowned in frustration. "The blonde lady! She's right there!"

The second time Klaus looked at the corner he finally saw who Sam was looking at—Esther.

She smiled sweetly, too sweetly, at Sam. "Come, my boy. It's time to go."

Klaus' eyes began to glow, as his fangs slowly descended, "You are not welcome here."

"That is no way to talk to your mother, Niklaus." Esther said calmly. "Give me the boy."

"You stopped being my mother when you set out to kill me and my siblings." Klaus spat out.

"He said you are not welcome here." Bonnie said as she appeared beside Elena, her attention fully on Esther. "Leave."

Esther's lips were drawn in a thin line as she looked at Klaus then at Bonnie. "I did not want it to come to this. I did not wish for your son to see so much violence but you have given me no choice."

The second Esther's hand shot out, her spell radiating from her outstretched palm, Klaus' world slowed and all sound fell away. He watched as Bonnie tried to fight with her own magic but she was blasted back. He felt his grip forced open and his son lifted from his grasp by an invisible hand. He watched as Caroline tried to pull Sam to her but was also thrown backwards. It felt like hours as Klaus watched Sam was placed in Esther's arms.

"Say goodbye, Sam." Esther said as she smiled at Klaus, triumph in her eyes right before she vanished along with Sam. Bonnie disappeared from the room in the same instant, leaving them on the other side of the veil.

Klaus fell to his knees, unable to speak, his eyes wide with horror. From the corner of his mind he saw Elena's shocked expression, Damon's angry stare at the spot where Esther stood and Jeremy blinking rapidly unsure of what happened. Klaus felt Caroline come closer, stand next to him. He knew she was talking to him but he did not want to listen.

"We'll get him back." Caroline said firmly.

"He's dead." Klaus said, numb as he knelt there on the floor. "My son is dead."

"No," Caroline said, with quiet desperation, "He's… We'll get him back, Klaus."

Klaus looked up and glared at her, "My traitorous mother took my son to a place I cannot follow. Even if he still breathes right now, he's as good as dead. It is only a matter of time. My only consolation is that I will follow soon after…and so will all of you. We deserve this fate because we failed Sam."

"No," Caroline insisted, "Bonnie can… We can… We will find a way."

"Stop. Just stop talking." Klaus said through gritted teeth, all hope draining away from him. "Your plan failed. _I_ failed my son."

Klaus kept repeating those words to himself, his knees still on the ground, unable to find the will to stand. His vision blurred with tears that he wished was blood. He wanted to see red. He wanted to kill and not stop until the pain was all gone.

Klaus felt Caroline pull him towards her until his head rested on her stomach as she stood beside him. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.

Caroline cried with him. She held him tight. After some time she also knelt on the floor, keeping him locked in her embrace.

"I don't know what to say." Caroline whispered, unsure. She wasn't prepared to see Klaus fall apart. She never realized that up to that point she never thought he was capable of not being so tough.

She felt Klaus take a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. "You said I wanted to be your friend. Right now, I just want to not love you anymore…so I can hate you. So I can have someone to blame. So that the blood of the people I kill because of all this pain will be on your hands."

"We're going to find Sam, even if we have to tear down that veil ourselves."

Caroline said fiercely. "I'm not letting you go."

"You should." Klaus said in a hollow voice. "Everything I touch gets destroyed. "

"No." Caroline said pulling back to look at him in the eyes, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Sam needs you. Get it together. He's not dead until I see...He's not dead. So, get up and we are going to fix this."

Klaus looked at her, his eyes completely blank as he broke free of her grasp and stood up without a word.

"Klaus!" Caroline called out as Klaus started to walk away.

He stopped but did not turn around. "It was a mistake to trust all of you and this is the price I have to pay. It's done. It's the last mistake I will make with you."

"Klaus, don't." Caroline said as Damon blocked Klaus' path.

Without warning, Klaus snapped Damon's neck and calmly stepped over his body.

"Don't follow me." Klaus said as he walked out the door.

Caroline moved and was in front of him before he stepped onto the pavement.

"What, are you going to snap my neck too?" Caroline said angrily.

Klaus clenched his jaw tightly, "Do not test me, Caroline."

"Well, I am." Caroline said stepping closer to him, her eyes blazing, "You do not walk away from this. You are not allowed to give up on Sam or on me. You've come too far…so close to good…you can't give up. Not now."

Klaus laughed, the sound full of venom, "You really think I won't hurt you?"

"You already have!" Caroline exploded, throwing her hands in the air. "Seeing you like this… It's killing me but you know what really gets to me? It's that if you walk away right now we lose all hope of saving Sam. You can't do it on your own especially if you don't even believe it can be done."

"What do you want from me, Caroline?" Klaus yelled.

"I don't know!" Caroline said in frustration. "I just know that…you have to stay. We will figure this out…but you have to stay."

Klaus opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't keep from shaking long enough to say anything. He closed his eyes briefly before closing the gap between them and placing his arms around Caroline.

"I've got you." Caroline whispered. "And I'm not letting go."


	5. Chapter 5: Burn baby burn

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 5: Burn baby burn**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

"Keep trying." Stefan said, panting as he leaned against a tree. "They're bound to…answer…eventually."

"I bloody know that!" Rebekah said her hands shaking as she dialed again. "But as strong as I am, I can't very well carry Elijah and Matt, who are both still unconscious. The fools in Mystic Falls are not picking up any of their phones and they need to know that a damned traitor is heading their way. And let's not forget—you're dying Stefan. Do you see why I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping my cool?"

"Then we hope our messenger gets there in time." Stefan said sliding to the ground.

Rebekah dropped the phone and rushed to his side, "Do not die on me Stefan. No one in my family is particularly designed to be a hero, that's your part. Just hold on please."

Stefan nodded and waved her off. "Find a car."

"Do you honestly think that didn't cross my mind about a hundred times over?" Rebekah said testily as she picked up her phone and tried her brother's number again.

"Been…here…before." Stefan said sitting down, eyes closed. "About three miles from here, there's a village…find a car. Come back."

"And leave you defenseless?" Rebekah said shaking her head. "No."

"Yes." Stefan said opening his eyes a fraction to look at her. "The threat is no longer here, remember? Go. I'm not going anywhere."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Stefan." Rebekah said as she crouched down to place a hand on his cheek. "I may not be in love with you anymore but…I still care. Watch Elijah and Matt. I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

"They're all gone." Jeremy said, turning to Elena. "There's no one."

Klaus crossed the room in the blink of an eye and had Jeremy pinned up against the wall.

"You might want to rethink that answer." Klaus said in a low voice, his arm pushing on Jeremy's neck.

"Klaus!" Caroline said moving to stand beside Klaus, trying to pull him away. "What makes you think crushing his windpipe will help him see dead people?"

"I don't know." Klaus said not budging from where he was. "Maybe the lack of oxygen or the pain will help in concentrate."

"I'm…trying…" Jeremy rasped out.

"Try. Harder." Klaus said through gritted teeth.

"Stop it. You're hurting him!" Elena said joining Caroline but Klaus was unrelenting.

Damon merely watched and poured himself a drink. "Girls, Klaus might actually be on to something here. Maybe Jeremy can find the dead people better if he's less alive. Just saying."

Elena glared at Damon as she kept pulling on Klaus. Caroline frowned and signaled for Elena to step away. She took a few steps back and with a running start she tackled Klaus to the ground.

"I'd give that a ten for originality and execution. Fantastic work, Barbie." Damon said as Jeremy fell to the floor with Elena by his side, checking on his injuries.

Klaus and Caroline stood up quickly at almost exactly the same time, circling each other.

"You need to learn how to back off, Klaus." Caroline said angrily.

"It's not my fault that the only lead we have is a complete dead end." Klaus countered. "I'm just giving him an incentive to do better at the one thing he's good for."

"See, this is your problem!" Caroline said throwing her hands up. "You don't see people, you see whatever use they have for you getting what you want. Have you learned nothing?"

"You want to know what I learned?" Klaus said closing the gap between them. "I learned that you people never actually get anything done. You wait around acting all self-righteous until by some lucky coincidence you stumble upon a solution. Well, I can't wait around. Either tell me now if my son is dead or point me to where he is because I need to do _something_."

Caroline matched his intense gaze and counted to ten before speaking. "Sit down—that's what you're going to do."

"And who's going to make me?" Klaus said leaning closer to Caroline. They stared at each other, locked in their own world, neither breaking the silence that wrapped around them. Caroline's head instinctively tilted a fraction to the side her eyes gliding over to his lips before focusing on his eyes again. Klaus's hand twitched at his side, fighting the urge to run it through her hair. He sensed her gaze shift and so did his, moving to the curve of her lips then lifting it up again to her eyes. He saw fear, anger, frustration, concern and hope.

"Caroline…" Klaus started in a hoarse voice.

"Caroline!"

The new voice shattered the moment. Klaus and Caroline split apart as if someone had actually come between them.

Caroline turned to see if her ears were deceiving her. But he was really there.

"Tyler." Caroline whispered, her face softening as she looked at him. She watched as Tyler's arms opened as if waiting for her to go running to him but she stood still, suspended in disbelief.

Tyler stepped forward, taking in the scene—Jeremy leaning on Elena, Damon sitting on the couch with a drink, feet propped up on the table in front of him, Klaus looking murderous as ever. Then there was Caroline who seemed completely unsure about how she felt with seeing him.

"I'm back…but you're not happy to see me." Tyler said in a hard voice, his face set in a blank expression. "Has Klaus already poisoned your mind against me?"

"He wasn't exactly around to do that…like you." Caroline said standing a little straighter. She felt Klaus move closer to her, coiled and ready to strike, itching for a reason to pick a fight.

"Right. He was busy changing diapers and being a bad father." Tyler said rounding on Klaus. "Isn't that why we're all here?"

Caroline wasn't fast enough. Klaus was on the other side of the room before she could react. He hit Tyler so hard that he flew clear across the room. But he wasn't done. This time Caroline anticipated his move and she practically flew to him, locking him in a tight embrace.

"Stop it." Caroline said forcefully as Klaus struggled in her arms. "Focus on my voice. He didn't mean that and even if he did, it doesn't matter. It's not true. We both know that and it's what counts. Stop it."

Klaus stopped fighting her and went still. "In this entire thing, you have been my sanity. But don't expect you will be able to stop me a second time. One false move and I will rip his heart out of his chest right in front of you."

Tyler wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. He looked at Caroline accusingly, "This is who you've replaced me with? I knew you were ambitious but never desperate."

"First of all, it's none of your business whoever I choose to 'replace' you with." Caroline said rounding on Tyler. "I wasn't the one who left and never came back. Don't even bother using Klaus as an excuse because you've been free to come back for years now and I haven't seen even your shadow in Mystic Falls. Second, I am not with Klaus. But FYI, if I were, I hardly think that's a sign of desperation. At least he's clear that he sees a future with me. And lastly, why are you suddenly back in town, just when everything is falling apart?"

"Because even if I'm not sired to that bastard, my life is still tied to his." Tyler said scathingly. "And in the interest of self-preservation…here I am."

Klaus laughed, slaphappy all of a sudden as he looked at Caroline and Tyler. "He's not back for you, love. He's actually back for _me. _Now, isn't that a twist?"

Caroline didn't respond, setting her lips in a thin straight line. She looked at Elena who took the cue and stepped forward.

"We haven't told anyone about what's happening so how exactly did you know that you needed to show up?" Elena asked, crossing her arms in front of her as she walked to stand next to Caroline in support.

Damon also stood up and dragged Jeremy along as he walked over to stand next to Elena, completing the line up that faced Tyler. "I don't believe in coincidences so don't even bother trying to sell me a story about how you overheard about the crazy that's been brewing and you had a light bulb moment that maybe we needed another supernatural hand."

"When I was trying to break the sire bond, there was a witch that helped us figure it out." Tyler said. "She's been helping me ever since and she passed along the message from Bonnie—I needed to get down here because you're all seriously outgunned. From the lack of a child in this room, I'd say Esther finally got her weapon is only a step away from wiping us out."

"Isn't it just lucky for you that Jeremy's party line to the other side isn't working so we can't actually confirm if you're lying to us?" Klaus said with his jaw clenched tight.

"I guess you just have to trust me." Tyler said to Klaus. Turning to Caroline he took on a gentler tone. "Look, Caroline, this isn't exactly how I imagined we'd meet again. I'd give anything to be able to explain to you why I never came back but this is how it is. You can hate me and think I'm a horrible person but deep down you know it's still me. You can trust me."

"People who say that are usually the ones who _can't_ be trusted." Damon said pointedly. "True story."

"It's rare but Damon does have his moments." Katherine said sauntering in, pausing at the entryway, hips jutted out to one side.

"I have seriously got to get a better lock on that front door." Damon said shaking his head.

"Like that's going to stand in my way." Katherine said as she walked towards them. "But it might just do the trick with traitors like this one. What? Did you really think BonBon told him about all the stuff that's been happening? Dear sweet, gullible fools you are. He's got it straight from the source—Esther."

Tyler frowned and shook his head. "Really? She hates hybrids. She thinks we're an abomination. You're not even making any sense."

"Correction," Katherine said wagging a finger at Tyler. "She hates all vampires and hybrids but she's been known to work with them to get to her endgame. Remember Klaus' self-sacrificing brother? Who's to tell us you're not suicidal yourself, Tyler?"

"I wouldn't have left Mystic Falls if I wanted that because Klaus would have done that ages ago." Tyler countered. "You're so insistent I'm the traitor, waltzing in here and pushing your agenda. Maybe it's _you. _You're the one always showing up to ruin the day and you always have a hidden agenda."

"Honey, I'm the queen of self-preservation." Katherine purred. "I would never work with Esther. Besides, I'd like to see how things would turn out with Elijah but that's not going to happen if he's forced out of existence."

"Enough!' Klaus thundered moving between Katherine and Tyler, then lifting both of them up by the neck. "I have no interest in your intentions. In fact, I actually want to get rid of both of you permanently, regardless of your role in all of this. So it's just a matter of deciding who goes first."

There was silence followed by the shrill ring of Katherine's phone.

"Answer…it." Katherine choked out. "Left back pocket. It's…Rebekah."

"Caroline…would you be so kind as to oblige Katerina's request." Klaus said nodding to Katherine without loosening his grip on either her or Tyler.

Caroline picked out the phone and answered it. "Rebekah?"

"Caroline, thank God. Finally. Where is Nik?" Rebekah said frantically.

"I can hear you, sister." Klaus said.

"Nik, whatever you do…do not let Tyler near Sam. He's been working with our mother. He was the one who figured out that you'd leave Sam with Caroline, to get her to follow Bonnie to get to Sam. Nik, Tyler told her that draining Sam of his blood and using it in that spell will kill you. Tyler is the tra—"

Rebekah never got to finish because Klaus flung Katherine to the side, toppling Caroline along with her. He kept his hand on his other captive and plunged his free hand into Tyler's chest, gripping his heart.

"Hurting Caroline the way you did, not returning when I set you free—that I can forgive. She doesn't deserve that but it was her choice to love you and if she chose it, it would have been her call to exact revenge on you. But she never asked, so I let you roam the earth as you pleased, no matter how much I wanted you dead." Klaus said as he squeezed tighter.

"Klaus, no!" Caroline said in horror. "Please don't do this. He made a mistake…that doesn't mean he can't change. Please don't…"

Klaus ignored her and continued, "But my son…the one innocent thing in my life…that was your mistake."

"He was never meant to exist." Tyler said, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "I'm just setting things right."

"Wrong answer." Klaus said clenching his fist around his heart. Caroline ran to them, trying to pull Klaus away.

"Please. If you care about me like you said, do not do this." Caroline pleaded, "I'm begging you. I'll do anything."

"Klaus." Elena said in a soothing voice as she approached them carefully. "We'll get Sam back. Just put Tyler down, okay?"

Klaus paid them no attention and closed his eyes briefly, one second of silence, long enough to make them believe they got through. And then he yanked out Tyler's heart and threw it into the fire.

Caroline gasped as Tyler fell limply into her arms and they tumbled to the floor. Elena's hand flew to her mouth and she turned to Damon who pulled her into a one-armed embrace.

"Not cool, man." Damon said his eyes wide with surprise. "Not. Cool. You crossed a line…make that a hundred."

"How could you?" Caroline said sobbing as she looked up at Klaus. "How could you do this to me?"

Klaus' face was like stone as he wiped the blood off his hand on a blanket that was lying around. "I told you…you should have let me go."

"I should have." Caroline said shaking as she held Tyler, pressing her hand over the hole in his chest, as if it would help. "I thought you changed."

"I thought I did too." Klaus said as he calmly moved to walk away. "What did you say again…about how people who do terrible things are just terrible people? Sweetheart, that's exactly who I am."

"Go ahead, walk out." Caroline spat out, tears flowing down her face. "I hate you. Good luck finding your son...and for his sake, I hope you find someone willing to help you because I am done. I'm done with you and trying to save you."

"I never asked you to." Klaus said pausing at the door. "I survived a thousand years without you, Caroline. Contrary to what you must believe, I don't actually need you. I _love_ you. I just don't deserve you."

With that he walked out into the night and did not look back.

* * *

Esther waved her hand and the scene dissolved into mist. She looked at the boy huddled in the corner, hugging his knees to his chest as he rocked back and forth.

"Shhh." Esther said running to him and scooping him in her arms. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you had to see that. You needed the truth, no matter how young you are and how cruel it may seem. You need to understand…your father is a monster."

"No! NO! NO!" Sam wailed, flailing in her arms. But Esther was patient. She had an endless supply of patience and she couldn't lose control not when she was this close.

"You're lying!" Sam screamed. "That wasn't my daddy! You're lying!"

"I wish I were, Sam." Esther said, an unexpected wave of sadness washing over her. "But my son is what he is. Will you help me make sure he doesn't hurt anyone ever again?"

Sam didn't respond. He kept crying. Esther let him, waiting until the tears dried out and he was left hiccupping from the crying.

"I love my daddy." Sam said after a while.

"Of course you do, sweetheart." Esther said soothingly. "I love him too. That's why we need to help him become a good man…someone who can't hurt anyone. Is that something you can help me with?"

"He won't be hurt?" Sam asked.

"He won't feel a thing." Esther assured him.

Sam nodded, "Okay."

Esther smiled, embracing the child in her arms, letting him rest his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Sam. Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6: Rise from the ashes

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 6: Rise from the ashes**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

Klaus threw the keys across the room. He listened to them hit the window by the far wall and then the complete silence that followed. No little footsteps running to meet him. No giggling child hiding in the hall closet. No welcome hug from small arms, still too short to completely encircle him.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten, opening them with the hope that he'd wake up from this nightmare. Nothing.

Klaus took just one step forward before stopping again. He wanted to kill, bleed someone dry until there was nothing but a husk left. He wanted to be bad.

But in the three weeks, two days and five hours since his son was taken from him, he couldn't do it. Other than the fitting demise of Tyler Lockwood, the worst he did was shove someone out of his way.

Klaus looked at his reflection by the window. He didn't recognize himself anymore. He wasn't the boy who grew up with brothers and a sister who valued family above all. He wasn't the power hungry vampire starved for attention and love. He wasn't the hybrid who wanted to rule the world.

No. He had become a father who failed to protect his son. He had become a man who lost all hope in the person he believed to be the love of his immortal life. He didn't know how to be this man.

"Any news?" Rebekah called out, emerging from the kitchen. "I just called Sophie and she still has no leads. I'm going to call Stefan…maybe they have better luck over there finding Bonnie—"

"Rebekah," Klaus said tiredly, "Enough. I'd appreciate some silence…so, please. Do whatever you want to do…you need not detail it to me."

Rebekah slapped Niklaus hard on the face. "Fight, dammit! Are you even still there, Niklaus? Because the man I'm looking at right now isn't the brother I know, love and hate. Sam is out there somewhere and you need to get your act together right now."

Klaus lifted a hand to his face, where the sting of the hit lingered. For a split second, his eyes blazed with anger but then he simply ignored her, turned around and started to walk out the door.

"You just got home." Rebekah said shaking with frustration. "What in the world is happening to you, Nik? Will you at least talk to me?"

Klaus merely shut the door behind him in silence. He leaned against and listened until Rebekah had left, far away enough into the massive property that she wouldn't be able to hear him slide down to the floor and just sit there.

He sat there waiting for sunset, adding another day to his count of not having his son home. He was about to get up when his phone rang.

Unknown number.

Against his better judgment, he answered it.

"Hello?"

There was nothing but silence on the other end. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to discern the sounds. He wondered if it was Sam, somehow able to get through but not able to speak.

And then he heard a mouth open as if to speak, closing so quickly before it was followed by a very faint sigh.

"Caroline."

Still the caller would not speak.

Klaus blew out a long-drawn breath as he leaned his head back on the door behind him. He sat there for hours with the phone line open, with no words said through it. He waited until the call ended with a gentle click before he kept the phone in his pocket and he watched clouds cover the moon above, casting a shadow over his world.

* * *

Caroline's hand fell from her ear, phone still in hand. She had waited for the batter to run out, cutting the call she had no guts to end. Caroline didn't utter a single word but she was exhausted by the silence.

"Just go, Caroline." Stefan said as he walked into the room, hands in his pockets. "Forget all the social norms you grew up with. It doesn't matter if you mourn Tyler for weeks, months or years...at some point you need to move on before you lose more than you already have. But I don't think that's not why you're here looking like you have a broken heart."

Caroline turned around from where she stood by the fireplace. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know how to move on."

Stefan smiled at Caroline and walked to stand in front of her. "From Tyler? Maybe you haven't noticed but you've been over him long before…what happened."

"What makes you say that?" Caroline asked softly.

"You could have looked for him." Stefan said crossing his arms on his chest. "And yet you found yourself in New Orleans. Yeah…I know you went there a few weeks after graduation. You saw a blonde girl hanging around _him_ and you ran."

Caroline smiled despite the ache in her heart, "I should have stuck around for longer than five minutes…maybe I would have met Sam sooner." She sighed again and shook her head. "Why do you always realize how important someone is right after you lose them?"

She played with the ring on her hand and turned back to watching the flames dance around in the fireplace, "I…I've always had a plan. When I was human, I knew what college I'd get into, when I'd get married and have kids. When I turned into a vampire, I also had a plan—I was still going to finish off my human chapter by graduating from high school, I'd see the world and I'd spend eternity with Tyler. But someone came waltzing into my life, throwing it into chaos and just…made me realize how little I knew of my own self and what I really wanted. And I pretty much pushed him out the door and slammed the door in his face."

She sighed heavily and leaned against the fireplace, wishing it would be enough to hold her up when she fell apart. Caroline let out a deep breath and looked at Stefan directly. "I was a grade-A bitch, Stefan. I knew exactly the words that would cut the deepest and I said them all."

"You were hurt and confused. You lashed out." Stefan pointed out. "Are you afraid he won't forgive you or you can't forgive yourself?"

"Both." Caroline said picking up the pieces of paper she had placed on the coffee table—Sam's drawings. "He truly is his father's son. Sam, I mean. He's so young but you can't doubt that he's an artist. I still have the piece of parchment that Klaus drew me on. He's good with gifts, did you know? He always knew exactly what I wanted or needed…even if I didn't know it myself."

Caroline looked at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from falling, "God, I'm so stupid. I kept thinking that I was doing this because I was some sort of fixer who kept trying to save broken things that others didn't want to get near. But somehow, I don't know when or how it all turned upside down…and he's been the one saving me."

"Don't tell me." Stefan said smiling at her. "Tell _him."_

"You think he'd listen?" Caroline said in a small voice.

"Did that ever stop you before?" Stefan said with raised eyebrows, his face softening as he continued. "Caroline, if anything, he needs you right now. By some miracle, his son is probably still alive since we are all still walking around. At the very least, he needs someone to set him straight so he can focus on making the right moves to get Sam back."

"Set him straight?" Caroline said, her forehead creasing in worry. "What do you know? You talked to him?"

"Rebekah called asking how we're doing on trying to get to Bonnie. They're back in New Orleans and…" Stefan said slowly. "Just go, Caroline. You both need this."

Caroline reached over and gave him a quick hug. "When did you become so wise?"

"Losing the love of your life to your brother gives you perspective." Stefan said hugging her back. "I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy and definitely not on you."

"You think he's…" Caroline said trailing off.

"Would it hurt this much if he weren't?" Stefan asked pointedly.

Caroline merely smiled, the sadness slowly lifting from her. "No…no it wouldn't"

* * *

Klaus lay on the road, the cold cement bit through his clothes but it didn't bother him. He was numb. He watched the night move across the sky and he listened for the sound of any vehicle that would pass but there was nothing. He could feel Rebekah watching from the house, having already learned to keep her distance after days of trying to get him to stop whatever it was he was doing out there.

He closed his eyes when he heard footsteps, wondering if there would ever be a day when someone would be able to sneak up on him.

"It's true what they say…it is darkest just before dawn. It's as if the stars and the moon somehow know to step back because something brighter is coming." Klaus said with his hands calmly placed over his chest.

"How many nights out here did it take for you to determine that?" Caroline said standing next to Klaus.

"I lost count." Klaus said opening his eyes, not turning to her but merely staring up at the night. "I just know I have to wait for sunrise everyday because it's the only time I feel any kind of hope."

"Mind if I join you?" Caroline asked hesitantly, sounding unsure if he would agree.

But Klaus merely shrugged and pointed a finger to his side without lifting his hands from where they were. "Do whatever pleases you."

Caroline stretched out beside him, placing a little bit of space between them but still close enough to touch.

"I don't know where to start." Caroline said finally after a few minutes of just lying there next to him.

"I can't seem to be the big bad anymore and you appear to be at a loss for words." Klaus said with a bitter laugh. "My, my, my, how the world has changed."

Caroline wanted to take the bait and snap at him. But she couldn't. Her guilt drover her into silence again until it all became too much in her head that she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Caroline asked rapidly.

Klaus laughed, the sound unaffected as it echoed around them. "As matter of fact, yes. I figured if I were gone then my mother would have no use for Sam. He's human so she could simply make him forget and stick him in some family to live out a mundane life. Getting run over by a truck or a car seems to take the least effort. I assume if pieces of me are scattered about that would count for very dead in my mother's book."

"You should have gone to the train tracks." Caroline said thoughtfully. "Cars won't damage you much. You'd be like some giant speed bump. You'll probably cause more damage to the car than the other way around."

"That's what Rebekah said." Klaus said. "I assume she told you to come. Probably to sort out her mentally unstable brother who thinks the best way to save his son is to give in to the demands of the witch equivalent of a terrorist."

"No, she told Stefan what a nutcase you're being but she didn't ask me to come." Caroline said. "I wanted to."

"Is that so?" Klaus said mockingly. "Have you come to avenge Tyler Lockwood? Or have you changed your mind about 'fixing' me? Which is it?"

A tear fell from Caroline's eye but she pushed on, staring up at the black sky as she spoke. "None of the above."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm sorry, Klaus. And for whatever it's worth, you're right. You don't need me. You don't need fixing because somehow when you decided you needed to be a father, when you…when you loved me before…you became a better man. Imperfect but much better…and…and I…I was the one who needed saving. Whether it was actual death you pulled me from or making me face what truth it was about my life I needed to confront, you were the one who fixed me. I had it backwards and I threw it all in your face. Because of that I wasn't there for you when you needed a friend the most. And I am sorry. I'm just…I'm sorry."

Klaus turned his head to the side and watched the tears fall silently from her face as she stared intently upwards to the heavens.

"And if you'll let me," Caroline said slowly, her voice shaky, "I want to help you find Sam. Then if you decide you really can't stand me, I'll walk away after he's safe and sound."

When she didn't hear anything from him, Caroline closed her eyes, the action making more tears fall out. Just as she did, she felt his touch, the edge of his finger by his cheek, catching a tear as it fell.

"Loved. Past tense." Klaus said softly.

Caroline opened her eyes and faced him. "You'd be a fool to still love me."

The corners of his lips turned up slightly, the familiar smirk returning to his face. "Clean slate…for both of us. I accept your help but until the day Sam walks through that front door, we don't talk or think about the things that keep pulling us apart."

Caroline started to nod but Klaus held her face in one hand. "But you don't walk away. We will talk. We will argue. Whatever it takes for us to forgive everything in between."

Caroline nodded tearfully, laughing out with relief when Klaus smiled. "I know I've called you many things but today is the first time I'll say this—you're amazing, you know?"

"Finally!"

The voice made them get up and be on the defensive mode.

Hayley.

"Bonnie!' Caroline said, exchanging a look with Klaus.

"What?" Hayley said confused. "I'm Hayley."

"I know that." Caroline said fishing around in her pocket for her phone. "But if we can see you then that means the veil is down and somewhere in this universe, someone can talk to Bonnie Bennett, aka super witch."

Hayley knocked the phone out of her hand and put it deftly in her own pocket. "We don't have time. Esther is near her endgame and this is the first lucky break I've come across so I'm not wasting it on some phone call. Trust me, the witch will show up when her turn is up."

"What lucky break are you talking about, Hayley?" Klaus asked. "And is there _anything_ you know about Sam's whereabouts?"

"This. You two." Hayley said pointing to both of them. "God, I thought you'd never make up. Esther's plan hinged on keeping the two of you apart. Well, most of it is still on Sam but you two were a close second."

"Slow down, Hayley." Klaus said. "I need you to tell us exactly what you mean by that."

Hayley ignored him and turned to Caroline. "The drawings. Hurry."

Caroline turned to Klaus confused but she pulled out sheets of paper from the inside pocket of her jacket. "Sam drew those but what do they have to do with anything?"

Hayley snatched them away and looked through them, shifting around their order until she was satisfied.

"See this mark?" Hayley said pointing to the drawing. "I have the same marking on my body. I was torn from my family because of this. My werewolf bloodline was something unique—we were also seers. Esther had them killed because they knew of the prophecy, that a child would come from their family with the power to end the reviled hybrid abomination…but that child could also end the other side and send the dark witches, the other dark creatures to a place where nothing can leave, nothing can follow. That's where you two come in—the original hybrid and the vampire witch."

"I'm sorry what did you call me?" Caroline asked. "Did you call me 'bitch', bitch?"

"Witch!" Hayley said. "Focus. Remember the twelve witches that Silas suckered you into killing years back? Well, apparently that was some sort of destiny thing because it set you up perfectly for this moment. You just did magic, Caroline. _You_ brought the veil down."

"But I didn't chant or anything like that…" Caroline said turning to Klaus expectantly, waiting for him to interrupt.

"That was _twelve_ witches, honey." Hayley said. "You just need to _think_. The key thing is motivation and desire. Look, scrutinize the specifics later but we need to move."

Caroline placed a hand on Hayley's shoulder forcing her back. "What do you mean keeping us apart was always the plan?"

"Tyler." Hayley said with an exasperated sigh. "I found him trying to break his sire bond. I helped him through but I never knew that he cheated and got help from a witch. It changed him. Became this crazed maniac out to get Klaus—at any cost. The man who returned to Mystic Falls was just playing a part for your benefit…for our benefit. I never even realized that I was pulled into your world so I would meet Klaus but well it backfired on them because it paved the way for Sam…You know the boy we need to rescue?"

Hayley showed them the sketches one by one, finally realizing a normal three year old could not have drawn such images.

Klaus with Sam walking hand in hand.

Klaus watching Caroline pick up Sam from her front porch.

The intruder in Caroline's house watching as they ran away.

Sam and Esther watching Klaus and Caroline argue.

Caroline shielding Klaus with her body, a stunned look on his face as she did so.

Sam holding Klaus' and Caroline's hands.

"Where's the last one, Caroline?" Hayley said with her hand outstretched.

Reluctantly, Caroline pulled the last one from her other pocket.

It was a picture of her and Klaus behind a glass window, seemingly watching someone outside, a bittersweet smile on each of their faces.

"Sam isn't in this last one." Klaus said through clenched teeth.

"That's what we need to change." Hayley said walking quickly, leading them down a familiar path. "We need the Deveraux witch."

"Now what did I say about practicing magic in _my_ town?" Marcel called out from the dark, the shadows falling away as he walked out to meet them.

"Seriously? This guy? Are you kidding me?" Caroline said turning to Klaus. "May I?"

Klaus gestured towards Marcel, "By all means, love."

Caroline moved on pure instinct, letting the vampire take over her body, putting to shame the vampire that has lived more than a hundred years, snapping his neck without a thought.

Klaus clapped theatrically, tipping an imaginary hat towards Caroline before turning to Hayley.

"_Now _let's go get my son back."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading that :) I loved reading your reactions on the last one and I agree with most of you…Caroline crossed a line and then some... but hopefully this one explained why she needed to somehow hit rock bottom and just lose it… be stripped down to the core so she'd realize and acknowledge exactly what Klaus had become in her life without her even realizing it. Til the next installment…hope you keep following the story!**


	7. Chapter 7: Holding on and letting go

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 7: Holding on and letting go**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

**A/N: So sorry took a while to get this posted. Down to a couple more chapters after this. I hope you enjoy this update! :)**

Sophie Deveraux was powerful. But even she was no match for the task presented to her.

Caroline walked in and placed her phone in her pocket after leaving yet another voicemail for Elena. It was the same as the last five—the veil is down, find Bonnie and bring her to New Orleans.

"I can locate them. It shouldn't be too hard." Sophie said slowly, wary with the presence of Hayley, who no longer belonged in this world. "But I cannot stop Esther. I don't have that much magic…no one does."

Caroline's eyes went to Sophie immediately, the movement almost imperceptible but the witch caught it and shook her head when Klaus wasn't looking. "Even Esther doesn't have that much and that's exactly why she needs Sam. And also why rituals like this demand everything from the sacrifice.

Klaus' fist slammed hard on the table they sat around. "You always talk about balance meaning there has to be a way to counter it. Start talking."

Sophie sighed and relented. "_You_ are the counterweight, Klaus. If I draw power from you on the night the moon is closest to the earth, I will have enough to fight Esther and trap her into the deepest parts of the other side."

"She wins." Klaus whispered. "Either way, my mother will get what she wants. Sam truly is the perfect weapon against me."

"My son is not a weapon." Hayley said in a low voice. "He is just a child, who is scared and wants to go home. And we are not stopping until we figure out a way to get him back safe and sound."

"We already have our solution, Hayley." Klaus said in a tired voice.

"Maybe I should be clear—in a way that does not leave Sam an orphan." Hayley said through her teeth.

Klaus slammed his fist down again, this time hard enough to break the table in half. "Well, we don't always get what we want. The only important thing is that Sam gets through this alive…the rest of his life…whatever scars he will bring with him will just have to mend with time because at this point Hayley, that is the only thing I can give him—_time."_

With that Klaus stood up and stormed off, but not without pausing to say one last thing to Sophie. "I'm putting my life in your hands and tomorrow it will be gone. Please do not fail my son."

* * *

"_You can do it." Klaus said encouragingly from somewhere behind the camera. "That's it, Sam. Take just one step towards me. That's it…"_

_The tiny boy's smile lit up the entire screen, a small dribble of drool to match, as he placed one foot in front of the other with his little fists up in the air. He gurgled happily as he stared at the man in front of him and took another step before breaking into hurried steps and toppling forward._

_The picture shook until the view was steady at an awkward angle from the floor where Klaus had set it down hurriedly to catch his son. The child didn't even mind and continued cooing happily in his father's arms. Klaus kissed the top of his head and set Sam down again, picking up the camera again. _

"_How about we try again, Sam?"_

Hayley hit rewind again as Caroline sat down next to her. "I actually saw this when it happened, you know? I'm pretty sure this was the moment that Klaus forgot about being a vampire, a hybrid…all that greed for power and just let himself go and be a dad."

Hayley turned to Caroline and looked her in the eyes, "That's life on the other side—always watching never really a part of what's going on. But it wasn't a bad deal since I got to see how Sam was every single moment…even when he asked you about having a mother. I wanted to be the one making breakfast with Sam, answering his endless questions. But I didn't hate you for that."

They let the video play once more, letting it finishing then starting it again. Hayley paused it again after the third time. "But you know what comes with watching Sam? Watching Klaus. You know what I saw? Everyday I watched a guy who had no clue about how to be a father but figured it out because he loves his son. I saw a man who accepted that he loved someone who was still busy loving the shadow of someone else who was already gone. I saw a person who somehow kept doing the right thing even after she pushed him away and stepped on his heart."

"Caroline," Hayley said turning to her fully. "I'm not Klaus' number one fan, even if he is the father of my child. But take it from me—he's changed. You know what he did when he walked away from you? He found Rebekah, gave blood to Stefan and brought Matt and Elijah to Sophie to wake them up. The old Klaus would have let them die just for knowing you. But he didn't. He couldn't. You know why? Because when he decided he was in love with you, he lived and breathed becoming that best version of himself. He accepted that it was who he was…while you're falling apart because you won't let him love you…won't let yourself love him because you can't wrap your mind around the idea that he's no longer a monster and the guy you kept up on that pedestal is the real traitor."

Caroline looked away and sighed. She kept her eyes trained on the video as she spoke. "Sam will be a real heartbreaker when he grows up. Just like his dad. Even back then in Mystic Falls…before all _this_…it felt like the most natural thing to fall for Klaus. It was so easy to want him. He was every bit the bad boy I was taught to avoid. I should have realized that didn't mean he wasn't the right one. But I guess it's just a little too late for that."

Hayley sighed and sat back to watch the video again. "I guess it is."

Caroline frowned, "But there's something we can do…for Sam. Wait one second."

Caroline disappeared into the other room and came back with a camera. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow night or even how long you get to be here but that doesn't mean you miss out on getting to talk to your son. It's not much but hey…at least he's going to know who you are."

Hayley's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Caroline and smiled. Hayley laughed as she wiped her tears. "Thank you…Okay. Let's do this."

Caroline smiled and set up the camera, making sure it was focused on Hayley. "Okay, one, two, three…go."

"Hi Sam…It's me…It's mommy…"

* * *

Sophie hurried to leave the bar, counting down the minutes in her head and the ingredients for the spell she had gathered in the last 24 hours. She opened the door and found Caroline there about to knock.

For a few seconds the two women merely stared at each other, somehow understanding what brought them to that point.

"There's another way, isn't there?" Caroline said, breaking the silence. "There's a third source for the power you need…one that's strong enough to bring down that damn veil and shove it back up with certain people behind it for good."

"Klaus won't allow it." Sophie said cautiously. "But yes…you are the third option."

"Sam can't lose his father." Caroline said her voice breaking. "And I can't let Klaus lose his son. I've broken him far too many times. It's time I do one thing right by him."

"Caroline," Sophie said placing a hand on her arm gently. "You killed twelve witches and even if that was in the service of another of our kind…they still won't treat you kindly on the other side. Even if you are using the power that stayed with you to save Sam and defeat Esther…it won't matter to them. Your friend Bonnie may be a Bennett witch but I don't know how much protection she can afford you there. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." Caroline said her voice shaking but she repeated it, firm and sure this time. "Yes."

"Then follow me."

* * *

Klaus paced in front of his house, phone glued to his ear as he called Sophie. Hayley watched him anxiously, her eyes shifting to the rising moon above them.

"Where the hell is that witch?" Klaus said impatiently.

"Nik!" Rebekah said frantically as she emerged from the house, followed by Matt, with Elijah bringing up the rear.

"What?" Klaus snapped absently at his sister.

Rebekah didn't answer but nodded at Matt to hand over the piece of paper in his hand.

Klaus snatched the folded note addressed to him when he recognized the handwriting. He tore it open and crumpled it when he finished reading.

_I'm sorry I was never brave enough to actually say it but here goes nothing…_

_I love you. _

_I do._

_I just have a funny way of showing it. _

_And I'm going to miss you_

_I just needed you to know._

_I love you._

"I should have saved Bonnie from Silas." Klaus said in a hollow voice. "I shouldn't have let Caroline kill the witches. I should have done it myself…then she wouldn't be able to do this."

"Brother." Elijah said quietly. "Do not lose yourself to anger. There is hope. You need to focus on saving them. We stand with you, Niklaus."

Klaus merely closed his eyes and drowned everything out. But even in that space he could not himself with Caroline and Sam after all was said and done.

"Damon called." Matt said breaking through Klaus' thoughts. "They're on the way and Bonnie is with them. Klaus…we know where to find them."

Klaus nodded, "Lead the way."

* * *

Sophie pointed silently towards the two silhouettes in the middle of the clearing surrounded by a halo of light. "Are you ready? Remember, I can stall her long enough for you to get Sam to safety then you need to come back to finish this. I can buy you a few minutes but nothing more. Do you understand?"

Caroline nodded and bit her wrist to let a few drops fall to the ground. Sophie closed her eyes and began to chant. The light began to dim and the older figure whipped around. Esther saw Caroline and her eyes blazed in anger. She moved to step forward but she couldn't move nor speak.

"Sammy!" Caroline called out. "Sweetie, let's go!"

Sam looked at Caroline then at Esther. He stepped closer to Esther but kept his eyes on Caroline. "No. I have to stay."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline said confused. "Sammy, we have to go _now_. Your daddy is very worried about you."

Sam flinched at the mention of his father. Caroline looked at Esther who shook her head. "Leave. This is not your fight."

Caroline ignored Esther and focused on Sam, taking a step towards the boy. But Sam stepped back with every move she made, finding his way behind Esther, peeking out at her with wide eyes.

He was afraid. Caroline looked at Sophie who was fully concentrated on the spell. She didn't have much time but Sam refused to run.

Caroline clenched her fists and took a deep breath, opening her palms as she breathed out when she realized she couldn't rush Sam. She sat down on the ground, hoping she looked friendly and nonthreatening. "Sweetheart, you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"I have to stay." Sam said trembling.

"Why?" Caroline asked patiently.

"She…she said so I can help daddy be better. So he won't be scary anymore." Sam said.

"What do you mean, Sammy?' Caroline said. "He's not scary. He's not mad or anything. He's just very, very, very worried about you right now. He's scared you'll get hurt."

"I saw him! I saw you!' Sam said tearfully. "He was mean to you and he…he took the heart of that man."

"You are in over your head." Esther said to Caroline with a savage smile. "Leave. Do not make me say it again."

"You showed…you had Sam watch what happened…Oh God." Caroline's eyes widened with the realization of what Esther did to Sam. She turned her attention again to the child. "Sammy, what you saw…your father…what he did…it wasn't nice but trust me when I say…he was only trying to protect you. That man…he was dangerous and he was going to hurt you and your dad made sure he wouldn't be able to. He was just trying to keep you safe. He loves you, Sam."

Sam was still crying but his attention was on her, his voice stronger as he continued to talk to her. "But what if he does it again? I need to stay so he's good forever."

"Sweetheart, he will never, ever, ever hurt you." Caroline said, forcing a smile on her face. "But you know what, I have an idea, why don't I take your place and you can go check on your dad…make sure he stays okay? How's that?"

"No, Sam—" Esther said but her voice vanished as Sophie's chanting became louder.

Sam kept his eyes on Caroline as he walked towards her slowly at first before breaking into a run until he fell into her arms. Tears fell from Caroline's eyes as she kissed the top of his head. "You're okay, sweetie. I got you. Now go run to Sophie okay? Stay with her until…just stay with her. She'll bring you to your dad."

"Can't you come with me?" Sam said in a small voice.

"I'm sorry. I can't." Caroline said as she started to let him go, pausing for a second. "Sammy…tell your dad something for me…tell him to be happy. Okay? Now _go_."

Sam nodded then ran off to Sophie. Caroline bit her other wrist and locked eyes with Sophie, nodding once before facing Esther.

"It's just you and me now, bitch." Caroline said closing her eyes as she let the blood drain from her. "Bring it on."

Esther's eyes turned black when she finally regained her speech. "With pleasure."

Klaus ran. He forgot about everyone with him. He didn't care where they were. All that mattered was getting to where they were.

"Dad!"

The voice made him stop. Klaus saw his son beside Sophie and he ran to his side.

"Sam." Klaus said as he picked up the boy and held him tight, tears unashamedly falling fast from his eyes as his son placed tiny arms around his neck. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Sam nodded. "Are you good now? Promise me you are. Please be good forever."

"Esther." Sophie said breathlessly. "She showed the boy…what you did…to the traitor…the one she was working with."

Klaus saw red but he forced it away, trying his hardest to keep a calm façade for Sam. He was able to contain it but then a sound broke through the night that stopped him cold.

Caroline screamed.

It was the sound of pure pain. It was the sound of her death.

Somehow Klaus found Rebekah's arms waiting for Sam. He turned around and watched in horror as a web of white light trapped Caroline sprawled at the feet of Esther, writhing in agony, her tears already made with blood.

"Nooooo!" Klaus screamed as he ran into the barrier, pounding on it but it would not shatter.

"Niklaus!" Esther said darkly. "Will you let her die for you…for nothing? She cannot defeat me. Her death will be for nothing…unless you finish this. Come my son…end this now."

"Klaus…" Caroline said in a faint voice. "Go."

Klaus shook his head. "No. You're not dying like this."

Caroline tried to smile but her face was twisted as another wave of pain shot through her, her eyes squeezed shut. "Remember when I was held hostage in the school? You know…when Alaric went all extreme vampire hunter? Can you still remember what you told me then?"

"Yes." Klaus said in a broken voice.

"Can you say it again?" Caroline asked in a small voice. "Please?"

Klaus clenched his jaw as unbidden tears fell from his eyes, his hands forming a hard fist as he shook with rage. But all the same, he found his voice shaky as it was, he said what she wanted to hear.

"It's okay…" Klaus started. "It's okay…it's me…it's okay…you're safe."

Caroline smiled, crawling to the edge of the boundary that separated them, stretching out her hand to him. Klaus knelt down to try and hold her hand but all he could do was touch the same part of the barrier she was pressed against.

"I think…" Caroline said barely able to speak. "I think that was when I began to trust you. Like I…I'm going to trust you now…to let me go. I love…you."

"Enough." Esther said stretching out her hand and raising it, lifting up Caroline as she did.

Caroline screamed again but this time she wasn't alone.

Sam screamed and broke free from Rebekah then ran towards them. Klaus caught him by the waist but the boy instinctively threw out his hand, palm out.

A pure white light emanated from his hand, hitting Esther squarely in the chest, forcing her to drop Caroline.

"Klaus!" Bonnie screamed as she ran towards the center of the clearing followed by Sophie. "Give me Sam to Sophie and get Caroline out of there. We need to bring up the veil _now!_"

Klaus hesitated and Bonnie faced him. "You need to trust me. We don't have time. If we don't pull up the veil now, Sam will get sucked in with Esther. And that means he dies…you will die and so will everyone else that is from your bloodline."

Without a second thought, Klaus handed over Sam to Sophie and scooped up Caroline from the ground just as a flash of blinding light filled the clearing followed by the fading scream of Esther.

Klaus blinked looked around. Bonnie, Hayley and Esther were gone. The veil was up.

He surveyed the scene until he found his son on the ground beside Sophie. The child hugged his knees to his chest as he rocked back and forth, sobbing quietly.

"Put…" Caroline whispered against Klaus' chest. "Put me down. Go to Sam."

Klaus realized he was still holding her and moved gently to set her down on the ground beside Sam. He tried to reach out to the boy but Sam wouldn't respond. The child looked blankly at him for a second then went back to rocking back and forth, flinching whenever Klaus tried to touch him.

"The magic…" Sophie started tentatively. "It was part of who he was, Klaus. Sam lost too much of it too fast."

"And?" Klaus said absently as he watched his son helplessly.

"It might have…damaged him…traumatized him." Sophie said as gently as she could.

"How…how do I fix this?" Klaus said. "Tell me. I'll do it. I need to help my son. I need to make him forget this."

Sophie's eyes widened at his words. Klaus caught it and figured it out. "You can make him forget…you have a spell."

"Yes." Sophie said. "He won't remember tonight…or anything…not me, not Esther, not Caroline…not even _you. _Clean slate, Klaus. We give him a new life. It's the safest way to keep him from remembering tonight."

"You mean I have to give him away…to another family." Klaus said in a hollow voice. "Will he be able to live a normal life…can you seal his powers? So he can be…human."

"Yes."

Klaus nodded. "Just let me say goodbye."

Klaus wiped a tear from Sam's face and tried to gently get the child to look at him. "Sam. I love you. I'll always be here and watch out for you even if you won't know it. Be good. Be safe. I love you."

Sam stared at him, seemingly uncomprehending but the boy nodded and muttered. "Love daddy. Love. Love."

The boy started rocking back and forth again and Klaus stepped back to let Sophie take over. Sophie placed a hand over Sam's head but the boy moved and scooted next to Caroline. He laid down next to her and placed his hand in hers.

"Sleep, mommy, sleep. Love you."

Klaus bowed his head, his face contorted as he let the tears flow freely. "Do it, Sophie."

Sophie nodded as she cried herself, her hand gently passing over the boy's face to close his eyes and made him forget there were people who walked around without beating hearts, people who had magic at their fingertips, or those that became wolves. In his sleep, Sam forgot the white light, the darkness, pain…and that his father was named Niklaus.


	8. Chapter 8: Say Goodbye

**This child of mine**

**Chapter 8: Say goodbye**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

Caroline stood at the window with Klaus beside her as they watched Sam bounce up and down as he waited to get in the pickup truck. Matt closed the back when he was sure that everything was secure. He went around and picked up Sam, swinging him into the car seat and buckling him in.

Just when Matt was about to pull away, Sam turned to the side and waved to them, smiled widely before looking at the road ahead.

Klaus raised his hand and waved back with a smile on his face that vanished the second the truck was out of sight. Caroline squeezed his other hand; their fingers entwined as the watched the empty street in front of them.

"He knew it would be like this." Klaus said as he let go of Caroline to pull out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was Sam's drawing of them watching from the very same window where they stood.

Caroline hooked her arm around his and leaned on his shoulder. "He's smart. He's different. In so many ways, he's like you."

"The better parts of me, at least." Klaus said trying but failing to smile. "I know letting him go is the right thing to do but part of me…just wants to chase them down and get him back. I'll deal with the fallout later…it can't be worse than what I'm feeling right now."

"I want to tell you that you did the right thing." Caroline said slowly. "I want to tell you it will get better with time. But I can't because I don't know if any of that is true. And this isn't the time to start lying to you."

"The first night I brought him home I didn't know what to do with him." Klaus said in a faraway voice as he watched the scene outside darken as night fell. "He wouldn't stop crying. It was the middle of the night and he was howling like it was some great injustice that he was in that crib. I was begging him to stop. I was bargaining. I was threatening. But nothing worked. Of course nothing would, he was an infant and I was dealing with him as I would any other person in my way. Then I don' t know why but I placed a finger on his chest, as gently as I could because I was afraid I'd break him. When I touched him, Sam just fell silent. I picked him up and cradled him. He fell asleep so quickly that I wanted to laugh at myself for not realizing sooner that all I had to do was pick him up."

He pulled his arm away from Caroline so he could put it on her shoulders to pull her closer to him. "It was then I realized I wanted to give him the world, whatever it was he would need or want would be his. He wouldn't have to ask. I would give it, freely and without any expectations."

Klaus closed his eyes as Caroline wrapped her arms around his waist, a single tear falling on his cheek. "I'm holding on to that. This is what he needs. It may not be what he wants, hell this isn't what I want, but this is going to give him a chance to see the world without having to look back on all the blood on his father's hands."

* * *

"_I'll do it." Matt said quietly from the corner, interrupting all the shouting around him, his eyes trained on the sleeping child on the sofa. "I'll be his guardian."_

_All eyes turned on him, the entire room falling silent as he stood up, repeating what he had said. "I'll do it."_

"_We should pick a human family. No ties at all to our world." Elijah said shaking his head. "Matt. It is truly a noble thing to offer but surely you understand why I can't stand behind this idea. Besides, you have Rebekah to consider."_

"_No." Rebekah said with a sigh. "Matt should be the one to take care of Sam. By far, he is still the most decent one I know."_

"_Look," Matt said his voice gaining strength as he continued, "I was just thinking why not have someone who knows about all the dangers of Sam's past. At least I'd understand if he suddenly overcomes the binding spell and shows some powers...at least if he remembers…I'd be able to explain to him."_

_Klaus looked at Matt in silence, Caroline standing right behind him. Matt approached them and looked at both of them. "You can compel me to not know all of this unless Sam shows any signs of what I just mentioned. I can be the ignorant human Sam needs in his life who will give him all the normal you want for him. Klaus, I know you don't think very highly of me—I'm this poor, dumb, directionless bartender from Mystic Falls in your eyes. But I'm someone who values family and these past years I've spent with Rebekah made me realize that you've become part of mine. Let me help you."_

_Klaus turned to Rebekah who nodded sadly. "Come on, Nik, don't look so concerned for the state of my heart. Besides, we were never meant to last. Matt wants to live and die as all humans do. I want that but I am who I am. At least I got to see the world through his eyes for a little bit…and this time Sam gets to be part of that."_

"_They'd hurt you to get to Elena, Caroline or Jeremy…and those three don't exactly have a shortage of enemies or bad luck that leads them to danger." Klaus said. "By extension, my son would be pulled into whatever mess you're in."_

"_I'm not going back to Mystic Falls and I hardly believe you can't protect your son from a distance." Matt said pointedly. "No one will touch him and if they get through your defenses by some dumb luck then I'll still be there."_

"_Why do you want this?" Klaus asked straightening up to face Matt. "What's in it for you?"_

"_I'm not a hero." Matt said thoughtfully. "I'm surrounded by people who do so much good and destroy just as many things in the process. I'm either just a bystander or collateral damage. But this is my chance to do some good and change someone's life for the better. And because it's the right thing to do."_

_Rebekah stood up beside Matt and looked at Klaus. "Better him than a stranger we're not sure can love Sam the way he should be loved."_

_Klaus turned to Elijah, who shook his head then nodded to his brother. "He is your son, Niklaus. Whatever you decide…I will respect that. Know that I will do everything in my power to protect Sam, whichever way this falls."_

_Caroline cleared her throat and spoke up. "I'm not family but I'd like to say something…if you'll listen. I promise I won't take long."_

_Klaus gestured for her to continue. Caroline took a deep breath and sat down on the arm of the sofa where Sam slept peacefully. She carefully touched his forehead to brush away a strand of hair._

"_I've known Matt since we were little." Caroline started, smiling at Matt as she continued. "He was the boy that everyone crushed on—star athlete, protective older brother and let's face it, prettiest one around. But behind the scenes, he was the responsible one that held his family together. He was the friend who stood by his arrogant best buddy. He was the understanding ex-boyfriend who wanted Elena to be happy. He was _my _humanity when I became a vampire and the constant reminder that I could still be good. He isn't perfect, Klaus, and he will never take your place but he will be a good parent to Sam."_

_Klaus stood up and walked towards Matt, locking his eyes with the human. "From this day forward, Sam will be your son. His mother, Hayley, was from New Orleans and you lived here with her until she died in childbirth. In fact, you live just right across the street. But it's been three years and it's still too painful to be around all these memories. So you decided to take Sam to California, maybe some town by the coast. Somewhere where there's sunshine and light everywhere…somewhere peaceful. There's a trust left to you by your own absent mother and you'll use that for all your needs even if you decide to still find some sort of work to occupy your time. Send Sam to a good school, help him make friends, defend himself in fights and fall in love with someone strong, opinionated, loyal, loving and maybe a little of a control freak. If Sam shows any signs of power, remembering his true past or if any supernatural being threatens his safety, you will remember everything. Otherwise be a good father until the end of your days, Matt. Because unless those dangers come to pass, you will be the only father he will know. Protect Sam. Love him."_

* * *

Caroline walked out the front door, bag in hand, and found Klaus sitting on the porch steps.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Klaus said without turning around. "You should have left last night. I was out trying to get drunk."

Caroline sat down next to him. "Tried meaning you didn't succeed."

"Sophie's bartender refused to serve me anything alcoholic. She said it wouldn't help make my problems go away." Klaus said absently. "I keep forgetting she doesn't know I'm not quite human."

"Then what did you do?" Caroline asked.

Klaus shrugged. "I walked around town until I figured out what I wanted…needed to do."

"Yes. I'm leaving but not without saying goodbye." Caroline leaned forward and peeked at the small leather duffel bag beside Klaus. "But looks to me I'm not the only one with that plan."

Klaus looked at her, his head tilted to the side as he gave her a wan smile, "God, you're beautiful. No one would be able to guess just how much life took from you. Yet I know you're just as broken as I am."

"I still intend to be the last man you'll ever love." Klaus said looking away. "But right now, so I can hold on to that, I need to walk away…from you."

Caroline leaned on his shoulder as tears fell from her eyes. Klaus placed an arm around her and held her tight to his side. "I wandered around for so long because I didn't want to come back here until I remembered why and how much I love you. But these past days, weeks…they just keep getting in the way. I walked around until I figured it out but I can't seem to hold on to it. I can't seem to hold on to you."

"But somehow I'm still sure that…" Klaus said.

"I love you." Caroline whispered completing the thought.

Klaus smiled and nodded as he folded her into his arms as the sun began to rise. "If only those words were enough to wash everything away."

"When I'm me again," Caroline whispered. "When I've forgiven myself and everything between us, I'll find you. And I'll make you fall in love with the best of me…because you deserve that. I want to be that someone who never forgets that she knows _you_ and doesn't doubt your goodness. I want to be the one who sees only you and none of the faces of your past. When that day comes, I will find you and it will be the start of forever."

Klaus nodded and kissed the top of her head quickly before standing up, bag in hand "I have to go…before I lose the courage to do so."

Caroline stood up and gave him a quick hug. "You go that way and I go this way?"

"No turning back." Klaus said as they walked away from the house, stopping at the sidewalk.

"On the count of three." Caroline said turning away from Klaus. "Three, two…one."

Caroline took a deep breath and walked away, tears falling from her eyes. She got as far as the end of the block before she gave in and decided to look behind her.

Klaus had turned around at the exact same moment, dropped his bag and was in front of her in a second, kissing her like there was nothing else that mattered in the world.

"Until I see you again, Caroline." Klaus whispered against her lips. "I will love you wherever I will be. Goodbye."

And with that, he was gone.


	9. Epilogue: Ever After

**This child of mine**

**Epilogue: Ever after**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners**

Caroline sat at the coffee shop, sipping slowly as she watched the people around her. They were mostly college students, studying quietly or laughing with friends. She was tucked away in the corner but still she felt the energy of the entire place. Caroline smiled to herself when she heard one of the boys at the other table greet a newcomer, clapping each other on the backs in welcome.

"Hi," said the latest addition to the table next to hers. "Are you waiting for friends or something? Mind if I borrow this chair?"

Caroline looked up and met the eyes of the boy. He was in his late teens or early twenties, tall with broad shoulders but lanky frame, unruly mop of hair that framed a rather mischievous face, an amused glint in his deep blue eyes. He tilted his head at Caroline when she said nothing.

"Have we met?" the boy asked slowly. "You look kind of familiar."

"No," Caroline lied. "I don't think so. I have a fairly common face…you're probably thinking of someone else."

The boy narrowed his eyes, not quite believing her but letting it slide. "Well, Ms. Probably Someone Else, I'm Sam."

Caroline looked at the extended hand and she had to stop herself from shaking.

"I knew a Sam once. Sammy," she whispered, missing how Sam frowned a little when she said his name. "I'm Caroline…and yes I'm waiting for company but just one person…you can take that chair if you like."

"Thanks…" Sam said not moving, his hand still on the chair, as he tried to figure out why Caroline looked familiar. "Are you from around here?"

"No, actually." Caroline said. "I'm just here to see an old friend."

Sam shook his head at her, "I swear I know you from somewhere. Your voice…"

"I'm sorry I took so long."

Caroline peeked around Sam and found Klaus standing there with a playful smile on his face. She composed her face and tried to look stern. "You're late."

"Yeah." Sam said lifting the chair. "This is now officially awkward."

Sam turned around and dropped the chair on his toe, hopping a bit as he tried to regain his footing. "Professor. I didn't know it was you…I'm working really hard on that paper. I've got some really good stuff about you know…wars and plagues and you know."

"Mr. Donovan," Klaus said not breaking eye contact with Caroline, whose mouth had fallen open in surprise. "I'll be the judge of how 'good' that 'stuff' really is once I see your work on my desk no later than ten AM on Monday. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Sam said in mock salute, rolling his eyes for Caroline's benefit before taking the chair and getting back to his friends.

Klaus rolled his own eyes and shook his head, which was the last straw and left Caroline bursting with laughter. Klaus' lips split into a smile as he held out a hand to Caroline. "Walk with me?"

The walked out of the coffee shop hand in hand, both of them sneaking glances as they passed the boy who had borrowed a chair. The door closed behind them and they never looked back.


End file.
